Mevolent (War Time) x Reader (A lady of his court)
I am having so much fun writing this, though I have had to do a fair bit of independent research. I hope all the Mevolent simps out there are enjoying the calmer more intelligent aspects of his character (◍•ᴗ•◍)♡ ✧*。
The evenings were growing colder as the glowing orange leaves slowly turned to mulch underfoot. Your window was shut tight against the evening breeze as you sat hunched over your writing desk, the dim candle light casting an amalgamation of shadows against the walls.
"My Lady!", Jorla interrupted your scrawling with her usual tone of outrage, "Please sit up straight, think of your posture", she spoke just as firmly as ever.
You didn't need to look up at her, you could tell her arms were crossed over her chest, her brow furrowed. With a soft laugh, you regained a more refined posture and continued your writing, "Who needs a drill sergeant when I've got you Jorla?", you teased with fondness in your voice.
Jorla let out an amused huff, "You'll find no one better to attend you I can promise you that".
You continued writing, delicately curling each connective line between the letters as your quill glided across the page. You had purposely chosen your personalised stationary, smiling to yourself as you thought of how amusing it would be for Mevolent to open a letter addressed to him, written on paper with coloured flowers coiling in the corners.
Lost in your thoughts, you hadn't realised Jorla was leaning over your shoulder, peering at what you were writing. She let out a small gasp and recoiled, "My lady… surely you aren't actually going to send that to his Lordship? It is far too nonchalant- your tone is too informal, he-".
You held up your hand smiling gently at your ever increasingly flustered maid, "Don't worry Jorla, he wanted my honest opinion of Machiavelli's works and that is what I want to present to him. I'm sure he will find it a fascinating read".
Jorla shook her head, "I don't like it- someone may see…".
"That's where I need your help Jorla", you signed an alias at the bottom of the letter trying to hold back the smirk on your face before folding the letter away in an envelope and tucking it into the back of The Art of War.
You held out the thick book to Jorla and smiled sweetly, "Would you mind returning this back to him for me? It would hardly be appropriate for me to be in that quarter of the castle this late at night".
Jorla's lips pursed and she sighed, "Impossible girl-", she snatched the book from your hands causing you to laugh softly.
"Jorla, never let me forget how much I value you as a confidant", you said warmly as you watched her leave the room.
She waved her hand at you dismissively, but it was clear to see she was forcing back a smile as she closed the door of your bedroom behind her.
As she walked down the hallway, it was much colder out here than it had been in the room of her mistress where the fireplace had certainly done its job. She clutched the book to her chest to stave off the cold breeze rebounding off the stone walls.
As Jorla gathered her courage to deliver the, frankly scandalous letter, she came across Hollis- Mevolent's own personal servant and she grinned. Perfect.
Hollis, was a short man, he was a very comfortable weight and walked with a sense of urgency that Jorla had always admired. But the man was simply far too jumpy, she often wondered how he managed to serve a man like Mevolent when it seemed like a butterfly could startle the spectacles right off the end of his nose.
He was walking toward Mevolent's room with a jug of hot water and a basin, Jorla increased her pace and kept up alongside him. She was older than Hollis, he was only middle-aged and maintained quite an enviable speed.
"Good evening Hollis", she huffed while trying to keep up, "I have something for your Master, if you would be so kind-".
"You can bring it yourself Jorla, I've got my hands full", he spoke primly, without unnecessary words, precise and to the point.
"M-Me? At this hour?-", she tried not to trip over her skirt as she practically jogged beside Hollis, "Very well… I understand you are busy".
She made a mental note to not get involved in the frivolities of her mistress all too often, as it was beginning to seem to be far more trouble than it was worth.
As they approached Mevolent's chamber, Jorla couldn't shake the inescapable awe of the intricate wooden carvings around the doorframe, depicting the epic struggle between the Faceless Ones and The Ancients. A battle long lost to time, but still recorded in their history, it was a magnificent work of art that she never grew tired of seeing.
Hollis’ abrupt knock on the door broke her from her trance, hearing no response on the other side he nodded to himself and entered into the room. Jorla trailed behind him, her heart beating rapidly in her chest, though on the exterior she was as composed and calm as if she were meant to be there.
She saw the hulking figure of Mevolent, stood over his own writing desk, his palms flat down on the wooden surface as he combed over a scroll being held open by a candle at one end and a silver tankard at the other.
"My Lord", Hollis said, interrupting whatever thought process he was deep in the middle of, "Jorla is here to return something to you. Then, I am to shave you before bed".
Jorla watched with a newfound respect, as Hollis practically ordered Mevolent to not only acknowledge her presence, but then get ready for bed. She had never expected the meagre man to be so commanding, and she could tell it came from a place of care and familiarity.
Mevolent slowly stood upright from his desk and turned his head to look at Jorla. Tentatively she approached him, "My Lord Mevolent…", she bowed before him and held out the book. "My Mistress sends her regards… she seemed to find it an enjoyable read. We are grateful for your leniency in letting her borrow this".
Mevolent tilted his head back and ran a hand through his hair, "Jorla, please stand… there is no need for such formalities here", he gently took the book from her hands and turned it over in his palm. "Will that be all?", he asked with tiredness in his voice.
Jorla stood upright, supressing a groan as her muscles strained, "Y-Yes… that will be all My Lord".
He nodded for her to take her leave, and she quickly obliged, the chamber door creaking closed after the sound of her skirts swished across the wooden frame.
Mevolent stared at the book and Hollis smirked at him, "My Lord? You seem awfully fascinated by that old tome…".
He started to thumb through the pages while Hollis busied himself, pouring the jug of water into the basin and preparing the tools needed to shave Mevolent's growing stubble.
As Mevolent neared the end of the book a small lilac envelope slipped out from the back end of the pages and he caught it just before it fluttered down to the ground. He stared at it as he placed the book down on the desk. So she had sent him something after all.
Hollis watched out of the corner of his eye, intrigued as Mevolent actually popped open the envelope and began to read the letter. His Lordship was no stranger to receiving secret messages from the ladies of the court. Each of them would gladly relinquish anything he asked in order to be his betrothed, to stand beside him with absolute authority over the castle.
More often than not he would throw any letters and favours he found into the fireplace, disposing of any evidence that could force his hand into an unexpected arrangement. Yet, to Hollis' amazement, Mevolent not only took the time to read this letter but he actually smiled before tucking it back into the envelope.
Hollis didn't speak, but he watched closely as Mevolent opened the drawer beside his bed and hid the envelope away under the hidden compartment at the base."Hollis…", Mevolent said as he began to de-robe, removing the leather braces on his forearms before pulling his shirt over his head, "What do you know of Italian politics?".
Hollis shrugged as he prepared the shaving balm, "Not all that much My Lord, why do you ask?".
Mevolent took the seat in front of Hollis, it was rather low to the ground so the humble servant could actually reach his Master's face, "Do you know what a Signore is?".
Hollis smiled, "Well yes, we have our own as a member of your court. It is a title bestowed upon those in power in the Italian Government who reign over larger Cities known as Signoria's".
Mevolent hummed in acknowledgement, "Indeed. I was recently informed that Machiavelli once stated 'In this world, you cannot be truly good if you are a politician'. The sender of that letter signed their name as Signora. I am yet to determine if it is referring to the political title or the very place of which they rule over".
"They?", Hollis asked with a knowing smirk.
Mevolent's brow furrowed, imploring his servant to not press any further.
Hollis held back a chuckle and rubbed the balm over Mevolent’s chin, "I see… perhaps, it is up to the individual's own interpretation My Lord?".
Mevolent remained still as the cool blade began to scrape across his skin, pondering over the words so beautifully written in that letter.
She was so intelligent, she had a lot of potential to be useful but had hidden it away. She had purposely avoided bringing herself into the spotlight at court and he found himself envying her. She had far more freedom than he had, though the decision to rise to his current position had been his alone to make. Despite that, he could still reflect on what he had sacrificed in order to be where he was.
The one thought lingering in his mind, was how she had referred to herself. Signora. A smart move to use an alias, one that he found himself rather grateful for. But by deliberately quoting Machiavelli's stance on politicians and then referring to herself as such, he felt as though she were quietly admitting that she was not all good.
An inevitably corrupt politician hiding amongst those that their position dictated they rule. A tragic combination of corruption and purity, the defender and defended. It inspired him to want to respond in turn…
If she may not be all good, perhaps he may not be all bad.
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Good morning! A bit of a shorter chapter today, as I felt this was all that was needed for the scene. Back into the action next week (─‿‿─) ♡
Nefarian glowered. Twice as hard as he usually did from the small wooden chair inside Anton Shudder's office. He had been detained behind the reception of the Midnight Hotel, where Shudder and Ravel were now pressing him for answers.
"Do you care to explain what is going on?", Erskine asked pointedly. After seeing such a visceral reaction from Nefarian once Honey had been teleported away, he couldn't shake the pit in his stomach that something was very wrong.
He recalled how Nefarian had just stood there, with his hand outstretched into the empty air where she had once stood. The shock in his eyes as he had processed that she had actually decided to leave… it was hauntingly close to something human, Erskine felt it didn't suit him at all. It was unnerving seeing him be so feeling and vulnerable, the usual arrogant mask cracking for a brief moment before he regained composure. It almost made him feel empathetic. Almost.
Nefarian knew he needed their help, he knew he had to explain so that he could go after Honey, but his pride was a stubborn thing. He had been in this position one too many times before, and every part of him was being pulled back into what he knew. To remain silent, to remain alone, trusting someone else would only incur further problems and divide loyalties… at least, that's how it had been.
Shudder placed his hand on the back of the chair where Nefarian sat, leaning over him with such a stern expression that he struggled to recall anyone other than Mevolent who could look quite so fierce while remaining so calm, "Talk Serpine", he commanded quietly.
Nefarian slowly arched his brow, trying to hide the slumping weight in his shoulders, "I will keep this brief. Because Honey is in imminent danger, we don't have the time for me to explain everything in great detail- I need you to trust me".
Erskine laughed, heartily, he almost doubled over in-fact.
Shudder remained silent, studying Nefarian's face for any inclination of deceit. When he seemed satisfied he nodded for him to continue, to which Erskine protested.
"Anton you can't be serious, you're really trusting him-?".
"Do you want to help the girl or not?", Shudder's voice was quiet and calm as ever but it made the room go cold.
With no further protests from Erskine, Shudder stood upright and nodded once again to Nefarian, "Go ahead".
Nefarian took a moment, trying to figure out where to begin, but he decided to keep it simple, straightforward, "Honey Bellamy is Baron Vengeous' Niece, that's likely who she has been taken to".
Erskine's smug grin suddenly dropped from his face and he paled, "Y-You're joking…".
"Unfortunately I am not", Nefarian continued, "She was running from The Arbiters, as they suspected she helped break him out of prison", before either of them could interject Nefarian added quickly, "I can assure you neither of us had anything to do with that".
Erskine and Anton exchanged a concerned glance before turning their full attention back to Nefarian.
"In my dimension as is the same in this one, Honey was destined to be a conduit for The Faceless Ones to return, as she can sing in their language. She was the closest thing we had to being able to communicate with them, to call them. I haven't told her this but… in the world I know, It worked and she successfully brought one back. I suspect Baron Vengeous has been freed to complete his mission in bringing The Faceless Ones back. Now that he has Honey, it will be that much easier for him…".
"Shit… fuck shit FUCK", Erskine groaned into his hands, "Please tell me this is all some elaborate ruse Serpine- I'd be much much happier if you were lying to me right now".
Nefarian suddenly lowered his eyes and shook his head, "No… I wouldn't lie about this. Because Honey… she won't survive if she brings The Faceless One back. Last time… it tore her apart, there was nothing left- I can't let that happen to her, not this version of her… she doesn't deserve it".
Erskine scoffed, "Careful Serpine, you might give someone the impression that you actually care".
The glare shot in his direction made Erskine rethink his words all too quickly, he cleared his throat awkwardly and shrugged.
Anton frowned and crossed his arms, "It wouldn't surprise me that Baron Vengeous would be willing to make such a sacrifice, even if it isn't easy for him. But why would Honey go along with this? She didn't seem particularly religious when I spoke to her- she was rather the opposite of the worshippers that I often come across".
Nefarian nodded, "Yes she's… different… ".
When the two Dead Men remained silently awaiting further explanation, Nefarian sighed, "Honey is cursed… she cannot hate, she has been subjected to years of abuse at the hands of her family because of it, yet she still loves them. All I know for certain is that, despite how I may have mistreated her myself, she never… left…", his words grew softer the more he spoke, his posture slumped further, "She left…", he repeated to himself as if he had only just realised what had happened.
Erskine rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly and looked away from Nefarian, this was just getting sad now.
"She would do anything for anyone… to severe extremes. I fear that if Baron is forceful enough she may do exactly as she is told", Nefarian explained further.
Anton unfolded his arms and instead opted to put his hands in his pockets, "She didn't seem… particularly happy about it".
Nefarian looked up at Shudder questioningly, trying to force the bile back down his throat as the two struggled to be civil.
"When Honey checked out, she changed her mind about three times before signing the ledger… it seemed like she was giving you space, not that she wanted to leave. If that is any comfort to you", with that Anton left the room, pulling Erskine behind him.
Left alone with nothing but the echo of his own thoughts, Nefarian had to face the fact that he had driven Honey away so cruelly. But despite everything, she had still been reluctant to leave.
Good afternoon my lovelies!! Enjoy the newest chapter, where I can actually see the plot taking shape, yay! ｡^‿^｡
There had been no mistaking it, Nefarian had come to try and stop her from leaving right at the last second.
Before she could barely call out his name, she had suddenly been teleported across the country to the safehouse in the Cotswolds where her family had a home.
It was somewhere that had been used for cosy Christmases, summer holidays, family reunions… and on the odd occasion, a safe house. It had been registered under an alias that had kept it under the radar and was perfect for such an occasion.
Billy-Ray Sanguine sighed and shrugged off his coat, the heat from the roaring fireplace in the living room could be felt even in the hallway.
Honey didn't have a coat to remove, she was still wearing Erskine Ravel’s pyjamas and was quite thankful for the warmth. She glanced over at Billy-Ray who gestured towards the living room, “I'd wager your Uncle wants to see you…”.
Honey watched as the bored looking woman stalked off to the kitchen, wishing she could follow her and get something to eat. Or maybe something particularly strong to drink after everything she had been through these past few days.
Instead, she forced a stiff upper lip and walked into the living room. As she stepped over the boundary of the doorway, she could see Baron Vengeous seated in a tartan armchair by the fireplace; there was another armchair opposite him that remained empty. In his hand he held a book, a glass of whiskey neatly beside him on a table.
The decor in the room was the same as always, dark reds and browns, blending together as seamlessly as the haemoglobin and plasm that flows through the blood. Her mother had always had a morbid attraction to that which was gruesome.
Honey gathered her courage and approached the armchair, clasping her hands together in front of her, “Uncle Vengeous?”Honey called out softly, not really wanting to disturb him while he was otherwise occupied.
Vengeous did not respond at first, he merely continued reading his book. So, Honey waited with baited breath. A couple of minutes passed, and eventually Baron plucked a bookmark from the side table, eased it between the pages and snapped the book shut.
“Come here”, he said sternly, without even looking up at her.
It took everything she had not to bolt from the room. She stepped around the side of the armchair and stopped just in front of him. She didn't dare say anything, she knew the routine. He would lead the conversation and only when it was necessary was she permitted to speak.
Vengeous lifted his eyes to look at her, his expression was painfully irritated, “What did I tell you?”, he suddenly asked.
A pause.
Perhaps she was expected to respond?
The very moment that Honey took a breath to speak, Vengeous shot up from the armchair knocking it back. He towered over her, all but blocking the light as he shook her shoulders. His palms gripped her so tightly she knew it would bruise, “Listen to me well young lady, your behaviour has been abhorrent as of late and I am most disappointed”.
Baron released his grip, everything went blurry as she lost her footing and fell backwards. One hand reaching behind herself to stay steady, the other coming up to cover her mouth to prevent any sound from spilling out, lest she irritate him further. The warmth of her tears were already mingling with the tips of her fingers.
She leaned back against the armchair that had been sitting opposite, leaving her nowhere to go. She took her natural place, curled up against the plush of the chair, cowering.
“I explicitly told you NOT to ever engage with Nefarian Serpine. Ever. Why did you disobey me girl?”.
Honey knew this was no longer the time to stay silent. She forced herself upright, favouring dignity over her feelings just as she had been taught by her mother, and tried her hardest to speak in a clear voice, “I did not intend to. I thought- I was trying to be helpful to The Sanctuary operatives who asked me. But then, they turned on me after you broke out of prison. They thought I had something to do with it… Nefarian helped me get away from them”.
Baron stared at her with a look of resentment that didn't quite seem to land on her. It was as though he were looking through her, trying to peer into her memories to direct his rage towards the others who had led her into this predicament.
“He… helped you?”, he asked cautiously, “No tricks? He didn't ask for anything in return? Did you use your magic on him?”. He gestured to her neck, having noticed that the necklace she had worn was now absent.
Honey shook her head, “No, he offered his help to me before I even took the necklace off. We have been travelling in the Midnight Hotel ever since”.
Baron slowly approached the fireplace, the fury in his eyes not quite leaving, though his expression relaxed slightly. He stood in silence, contemplating what Honey had told him as he reached for his pipe on the mantle and began stuffing it with tobacco.
While on the floor, she rubbed her eyes dry of tears and awkwardly shifted her position so that she was sitting more comfortably on her knees.
“Uncle Vengeous… I am sorry, I understand why you told me to stay away from Nefarian. But I promise, I am alright”.
Baron reached down and patted her head softly with his free hand, “Did he hurt you, at all?”, he asked with an almost cautious tenderness in his voice.
Honey shook her head immediately, “No, he didn't”.
At this point Billy-Ray knocked on the door frame, “Boss, when do we make our move?”. He glanced down at Honey and raised an eyebrow at her. He had seen her sobbing in the hallway of the hotel when he found her. Someone clearly had hurt her and it wouldn't surprise him if it had been Nefarian. If so, why had she lied to her Uncle about it?
Deciding it was not his place to ask, Billy-Ray minded his own business and kept quiet.
Baron’s hand cupped Honey’s cheek, forcing her to look up at him as he searched her face for the truth, “Are you being honest with me Honeybell?”. She blinked at him then smiled sweetly and nodded, “Yes Uncle Vengeous. I promise you I am alright. He treated me well”.
Baron released his hold on her face and shook his head, “Doesn't sound like the Nefarian Serpine that I know”. He lit the tobacco pipe and took a few puffs, focusing his rage into the burning flavour of the smoke.
Honey smiled warmly to herself as she thought about Nefarian, “Perhaps, the Nefarian Serpine you know is very different from the man that I know. There's no need to worry Uncle… I am okay”. She bit back the sadness in her voice. It was ironic that she was trying to reassure the man who had inflicted pain upon her himself only mere moments ago.
Billy-Ray picked up the armchair behind Vengeous that had been knocked over, earning him a regimental nod of acknowledgement.
“We will leave tomorrow… Now that we have my niece we can begin with our plans… but let her rest first. She will need her energy”, Baron glanced down at her once more, his earlier emotional outburst subdued until the next storm.
Honey hoisted herself up against the armchair and sat opposite where her Uncle now proudly stood. He always looked so just, so regal, so sure of himself. It bewildered Honey how someone could have such confidence in themselves, “Plans?...”, she asked him with a tilt of her head.
Baron nodded, a large cloud of smoke circling his head that Honey tried hard not to choke on.
“Yes. Now that you are here, we can begin earlier than expected”.
Honey wafted her hand in front of her face to try and rid the air of some of the tobacco smoke, “Begin? Begin what Uncle Vengeous? Why were you broken out of prison?”.
“To finish what I started. To finish what our great Commander Lord Mevolent asked of me. Initially, I was going to put together the Grotesquery… I was on the path to retrieving it and completing it. A vessel for the Faceless One's to return”.
Honey gasped, her eyes widened in horror, “Surely not…? Uncle Vengeous that task is no longer yours to bear. The treaty-”.
“I had been imprisoned because I cared not for that blasphemous treaty. I will not abandon our Gods for the mere trifle of freedom. The grotesquery was one way of achieving my goal, however…”.
Baron turned and bent down on one knee in front of Honey, he rested his forearm on his thigh, the glow of the tobacco in the pipe burning scarlet, “With you here… I have no need for that monstrous thing. You have finally freed your voice Honeybell, without that necklace to constrain you, you will have the honour of singing to our Gods, to bring them here as you once were destined to”.
Honey shook her head, “I-I can't Uncle… my magic, they were never able to corrupt it because of my curse… I cannot bear the darkness of hatred that would be needed to make me stronger”.
Baron chuckled and stood once more, “Oh?... I think you've proven yourself more than capable. Running from your family, running from the law, hiding with that treacherous leech Serpine, you just need the right motivation my dear…”.
“B-but… I'm not strong enough for this… I can’t possibly survive bringing the Gods back through my voice alone…”, she found herself shaking once more at the ever increasing dread rapidly pumping her heart.
Baron remained as tall and certain as he always had and his assuredness made Honey feel as cold as death, “If that is so, then to perish at their hand, will be your highest honour”.
Mevolent (War Time) x Reader (A lady of his court)
Good afternoon!! Two posts in one day, somebody stop me! I've had a lot easier of a time writing thanks to the encouragement and advise of my bestie @baku-brosbitch ( ˶˘ ³˘(˵ ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°˵)♡ Thanks for all your love and help <3
One simple comment, one meagre address from the Lord Mevolent and suddenly you were drawing stares and hushed whispers from the other members of the court. It would be easy enough to avoid them in your own private time, but scheduled events such as breakfast… followed by the morning prayer- in moments like these you had no choice but to sit shoulder to shoulder with the wolves.
With your head bowed in deep respect, your eyes remained closed, your brow relaxed, despite the elbow jutting into your ribs from the lady beside you. That morning's prayer weighed heavily down upon the congregation as Mevolent's voice spoke from an ancient text. His usual armourments were absent, in their place he was adorned with illustriously bright white robes lined with the finest golden thread. Upon his head, a golden halo of oak leaves ridden with thorns.
He stood ever enduring as the figurehead of this entire movement, the man who would bring the Faceless Ones back to wreak havoc on the Earth and rule the mortals with an iron fist. It wasn't exactly what you wanted, but it was no understatement that on the other side of this war survival practically left nothing to be desired. Life was merely existing, waiting for the next strike of the Diablerie, or one of Mevolent's many armies that sought to subjugate any who dared oppose him.
This life was far better, though still not without its risks, they were far and few between when you knew how to play it right.
-x-
When the ceremony came to a close, you made yourself scarce in order to escape the questioning that you were sure you were due for. Too many glances had been thrown your way and it was only a matter of time until…
"Oh-".
Just at the precipice of the courtyard that led into the gardens, you found you had bumped into a small girl rubbing her eyes, a cascade of tears running down her cheeks as she tried to get her quiet sobs under control. With a quick glance to the left, then the right, you could see she was unattended.
With a gentle grace, you lowered yourself down to her height, your skirts pooling onto the floor, "Goodness me, all these tears… where is your Mama?", you asked in as soothing a voice as you could manage. At first, the little girl shied away, expecting some kind of scolding for appearing so dishevelled. It broke your heart to see that level of expectation had already been deeply rooted in her infantile mind, she couldn't be any older than 3 years.
You tilted your head at her and asked with a sweet smile, "Are you looking for someone? Maybe I can help you get back to your parents?".
Slowly she slid her damp hand into yours and nodded, trying to sniffle the snot bubble now adorning her little nose. You laughed nervously, trying not to wince at the feeling of her sticky hand, before taking out your handkerchief and offering it to her. With a lengthy blow, and a swift wipe, she was once again composed.
Well, more-so than she had been before.
You gave her a satiated nod and stood, keeping her hand firmly in yours as you guided her back inside and through the corridors of the castle.
"Now let's see… perhaps we should head to the nursery and find the maids who work there? I'm sure they would recognise you".
The little girl nodded, and you nodded back, pleased that there seemed to be some kind of understanding between you. You watched her as you walked alongside each other. Her curious little eyes staring at all the huge portraits and tapestries lining the walls was ever so sweet. Clearly she didn't wander through the castle very much- as this area seemed rather new to her.
Though it made sense, any children of the court were often kept away to one side until they were old enough to be presented socially. Whatever maid had been assigned to look after her was probably losing her sanity trying to find this tiny little thing in a fortress designed to be difficult to navigate.
As you rounded a corner, fate had so decided to once again place Mevolent in your path. Though he was no longer wearing the white robes, but instead a black cotton shirt and trousers with high laced boots. It was unusually casual, he must have been caught on his way to some sort of training. You tried not to stare too long at the definition of his body that was not usually visible when he was in public spaces.
There was a frantic looking maid explaining to an older well-dressed woman that she had lost something- no guesses there what it was that had been misplaced. Mevolent had clearly been dragged into the discourse, a lost child was no joke when in the middle of such a heated war, and he was responsible for all who resided in the castle.
The little girl, realising the trouble she had caused, casually slipped behind your dress, pulling your hand slightly behind your back. She hadn't meant to, but it made you move at an awkward angle and you made a small yelp. Naturally all eyes glanced over in your direction, the conversation coming to an abrupt stop.
Clearing your throat and regaining your posture, you gently pulled the little girl back into view to add a bit of context toward your outburst, "Now my dear…", you said softly, "You don't need to be frightened". An easy thing to say to the small child, but Mevolent was an incredibly tall and intimidating presence. Especially for someone so young.
That and, clearly she would be in some sense of trouble having stolen away from her guardian when nobody was looking.
You rubbed your thumb along her hand and looked back over at the trio, "Please excuse me My Lord, My Lady… but I believe I have recovered that which was lost".
"Lucia!", the older Lady thundered. Her tone was strict, terribly firm and left no room for argument, but it was not entirely without care. Clearly she had been concerned for the welfare of the young girl, "How many times must I tell you to stay with the maids? And you-".
Your shoulders tensed as she addressed you, "Yes your Ladyship?".
She approached and looked you up and down, studying you with narrowed eyes, "Hm… well, I daresay you had sense to bring her back here. You have my thanks".
You blinked at her in surprise and nodded, "Yes, of course…".
Little Lucia, looking a little sorry for herself tugged on your hand, drawing your attention back down to her, "She helped…", she mumbled out quietly causing you to smile.
She then approached the older Lady and curtseyed, "Sorry Aunty Ingrid… I just wanted to see the flowers".
"It is Autumn child, the flowers are more visible in the Spring", she sighed exasperatedly and looked to Mevolent, "Thank you My Lord, all is well once more. Forgive me for taking up your time".
Mevolent merely nodded ever so slightly, and watched with an almost confused expression as Lucia walked back down the hallway with Ingrid and the maid, then suddenly his voice broke the lingering silence, "That little one, she's ever so small…", he mused almost to himself.
It took all you had not to laugh, "Well… yes My Lord, she is only young".
This would have been the perfect time to excuse yourself, but you found that your feet seemed to be all but stuck to the floor. Being alone with the Lord of the castle like this was not good for keeping a low status, yet despite your racing pulse something was keeping you planted.
Mevolent closed his eyes and hummed as though he were in an entirely different plane of calm, "I fear that we live so long as sorcerers, we forget how small and naïve we once were".
All too suddenly, your heart slowed as you looked across at him, " My Lord?".
Your confusion seemed to snap him out of whatever respite he had found, his body was once again rigid and unwavering, "Disregard me, I am merely rambling…".
As though compelled, you lifted your voice to meet him before the distance became too vast, "No, I wouldn't say that. You just took me by surprise… I just thought-", you looked down the hall where Lucia had been led down and smiled fondly, "Perhaps that is why people have children. It is a nice reminder to see in someone so young, a reflection of traits we thought long lost in other people".
Mevolent turned to look at you once more, your words coaxing his interest keenly back onto you, "You speak with wisdom and heart, to many others I'm sure you sound rather foolish".
Heat rose in your cheeks and you huffed, "Not as foolish as the authoritarian leader of an autocracy engaging in philosophical reading-".
His eyes widened just as yours did and panic quickened your blood, "M-My Lord forgive me… I did not mean to-", your hands were trembling as they gripped onto your skirt awaiting the rampage of a tyrant to come crashing down onto you.
Instead, what really turned your stomach in knots, was that he scoffed back one singular huff of a laugh before crossing his arms across his chest.
"Authoritarian as I may be, philosophy and ideals are at the very core of this war. I hardly find it strange that I should expand my outreach of understanding… What I do find strange is a Lady such as yourself taking on such an unnecessary burden", he looked down his nose at you challengingly, clearly enjoying himself far too much at your expense.
"Well I… I don't find it a burden at all. As a matter of fact, I feel rather blessed to be able to spend my time reading and learning when there are others out there dying as a result of the conflict".
Mevolent leaned against the wall, his posture making him look far less imposing than when he was sat at the head of the dining table, or being crowned at the altar of the chapel. He seemed far more… human when he looked like this. "You think this war is a hindrance?".
"I think all war is a hindrance", you spoke defiantly, strong and sure, it surprised him how opinionated you were and how confidently you presented yourself when he had not seen you stand out in court before, "I am aware that I speak from a place of privilege My Lord, and I truly do admire those who volunteer their lives to fight- on both sides of the conflict. Regardless, I can admire them for their actions and still find it superfluous. War is such a violent solution to conflict of opinion".
To your surprise and sheer astonishment, a small smile curled the corner of Mevolent's mouth. Though it saddened you to see it disappear as quickly as it had come, almost as if he had suddenly realised that perhaps a man such as himself is not permitted to smile so easily.
"Well then…", he began, as he pushed off from the wall, "I should consider myself lucky that you condone violence when one shares a differing opinion".
With that he began to walk back down the hall, away from the growing tension of the battle of wit the two of you had instigated. You laughed softly to yourself in disbelief. You hadn't quite expected him to be so… tolerant. He had listened to you and found amusement in your dwellings, where nobody really had before. It had been a somewhat encouraging experience, one you would soon find yourself missing.
Good morning!! I had so much fun writing this chapter! Enjoy the drama ヾ( ^^ゞ)
He was rid of her.
Finally.
After Nefarian Serpine had delivered his fatal spiel, leaving Honey’s psyche even more torn and broken, he did ponder how long it would take for her curse to smooth everything over.
It would have been quite the spectacle to see, had it not caused such distress to his own person. Honey Bellamy was frightfully persistent, he had been forced to play his most diabolical hand in order to get her away from him. One argument was clearly not nearly enough to deter quite how forgiving she was forced to be.
He shuddered as he recalled the feel of her fingers curling around the buttons on his shirt, how eager she had been to undo them in order to help him with a task long neglected in the back of his mind. Her selflessness had the effect of drawing attention to the lack of self-care Nefarian had for himself, even as his body had trembled from the cold.
He kicked at where he had thrown the soaked garment to the floor in irritation, collapsing down onto the bed as he tried too hard not to think about how fast his heart had begun to beat when she had been so close to him…
He scoffed. How ridiculous to get so worked up over something so ultimately meaningless. She was merely trying to help him out of his damp clothes- and that was the end of it. Nefarian had suffered worse assaults on his person, those instances calling his lack of abstinence into question rather than his pride.
This was nothing compared to those times and yet, he was furious over how much it had affected him. All he could think about was how badly he needed to get away from her, lest her pure intentions be corrupted by his own temptation. It was just further confirmation that someone of his calibre did not belong with someone like her.
In the dull quiet of the room, where the hotel seemed to be laying in wait for an unforeseen storm, Nefarian groaned and slammed his fist down onto the mattress. Why, even after he had made certain she would leave, was he still thinking about her? This woman who had caused him no end of turmoil. She wouldn’t leave the forefront of his musings and it was entirely too irksome.
Nefarian stood rapidly, deciding to be productive to keep himself distracted. It didn’t take much time for him to get dressed into a fresh shirt and trousers. He unlocked his phone and scanned through the few notifications he had, none of which were of great importance. Though, as he did so, he came across the messages that Honey had sent him not that long ago.
Re-reading through them, he remembered how they had met at the Dark Cathedral, how she had invited him out for a drink despite knowing his reputation and history. He recalled the light in her eyes when she listened to him tell stories from his own dimension, the interest in his tale only encouraging him to open up bit by bit.
She had shown him incredible food, laughed with him over movies, brought him comfort and warmth where the rest of the world had shunned him. Nefarian was used to being associated with an expectation of his own making, assuming he would never be capable of much else… she had started to show him how wrong that was.
He was capable of more, but trying to reach out to those possibilities all by himself was a task far too monumental for him to even know where to begin.
With a fond exasperation, he let out a sigh, “I must be out of my mind…”, he locked his phone strode towards the door and pried it open, making his way along the hall before coming to an abrupt halt, bumping into Erskine.
The two men glared at each other for a moment, until Nefarian’s posture relaxed. He put a hand in his pocket and smirked, “Alright Ravel… where is she?”. He had hoped to get the upper hand on his own emotions, acting nonchalant and jumping to the conclusion he was sure of before it could be revealed to him.
However, that forced confidence began to dwindle when Erskine’s frown got even deeper, “Actually… I was coming to check on you two, to make sure you hadn't done anything to her. She’s not with you?”.
Nefarian’s smirk fell, and his heart plummeted.
Then, the hotel's familiar rumble ran down the walls and along the floor. They were on the move.
Not wanting to seem too panicked, Nefarian started to walk down the hallway with a wave of his hand, "She will probably be in the common room, there's still biscuits there, right? Knowing her she's gone after some food or something".
Erskine followed suit after Nefarian with a suspicious glare. Not wanting to be behind him, he purposely walked one step ahead to try and assert some ridiculous sense of authority. However absurd it was, Nefarian bit and quickened his pace so that he was one step ahead of Erskine instead. The glares they shot each other were deep with a silent threat.
Their speed hurried into a slight jog, then it was more of a run as they stumbled over each other. Hands pushed at shoulders, feet kicked into shins as the spectacle bumbled down the hallway. They caused more turbulence to the console tables dotted down the length of the corridor than the hotel itself while shunting to the next location.
All too suddenly, a blinding light shone through the windows as they landed in England, a few hours ahead of New Zealand in the middle of the day. It caused the pair to bring their merry dance to an end, favouring covering their eyes as they slowly adjusted to the light rather than gaining the upper hand in a race that would have no victor.
"Bloody hell- since when was England so sunny?", Erskine complained, blinking rapidly as he tried to adjust to the change in light.
Nefarian rubbed at his eyes, noting that Ravel had clearly memorised where the hotel travelled to and when, and sighed, "It's not important- let's just find Honey…".
The two of them came down the stairs and noticed Anton standing at the desk, scribbling something in the guest book. Erskine leaned his forearm against an empty space on the surface and peered over, "Did someone check out?", he asked curiously, leaning over to get a better look.
Anton nodded and his eyes glanced up to Nefarian, "Yes, Honey checked out this morning… it seems her family had sent someone to take her back home".
Nefarian, who had been smoothing his hair back down, paused with his fingers tangled in his glossy locks, "Excuse me? What did you say?", he turned and slammed his hands down either side of the guest book, which Shudder rapidly pulled away from his grasp, "Who did she leave with?! What family is she going back to?!".
Shudder snapped the book shut and shook his head, "That is not information I asked for, nor would I divulge to you Serpine. She's better off with her family, leave her be…".
"No- NO you don't understand!", his voice was becoming manic now, "Who sent for her?! She could be in danger-", his gaze snapped toward the front of the hotel. Before he could force a response from Shudder, he sprinted for the door.
Anton looked at Erskine worriedly, "He wouldn't be acting like that for no reason… Did you ask her about her family?".
Erskine shook his head, "No… I have no idea who they are. Surely it can't be that bad?".
They thought it better not to find out the hard way and followed Nefarian outside.
Though the skies above them were laden with sunshine, there was still a chill that hung in the air. Nefarian did not feel it, all he could feel was the pit forming in his stomach as he saw Honey reaching towards the hand of a very bored looking young woman standing beside a blonde man wearing sunglasses.
"Honey stop!", he called out just as her hand came to rest upon the young woman's.
He saw her turn her head, surprise apparent in her face before the three figures disappeared with only their footprints remaining in the grass.
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Mevolent (War Time) x Reader (A lady of his court)
I know I said I barely had time to write, but this one was kind of by accident... I find myself daydreaming about this scenario a lot so I will just keep writing extracts on it. It may not be entirely coherent and plot driven... but it can still be beautiful (≖ᴗ≖✿)
It had been enough of a surprise to be awoken, by your ever faithful maid Jorla, while lounging in the library in the later hours of the evening. It had been another thing entirely to be informed that not only did the Lord Mevolent see you in such a state, but he had also requested the return of the very book you had been reading before you so deeply fell into your slumber.
Mortified was one way to describe the sensation that danced across your memory. Another part of you was nonetheless intrigued as to why the Lord of the Castle had shown such an interest in Machiavelli's philosophy. It had certainly piqued your curiosity, yet it most certainly was not enough to completely wipe away the furious embarrassment of it all.
"If I should catch you lounging around like a cat again I will have your guts for garters girl! To think, of all people The Lord Mevolent himself came upon you like that… you are truly hopeless… suppose someone else had found you…".
You let out a deep breath and sank deeper between your pillows to escape another lecture about lecherous men. The name Nefarian Serpine left Jorla's lips a multitude of times, causing you to stifle a giggle. His reputation certainly did proceed him, but such a man wouldn't look twice at someone like you. Far too intelligent, not easy to toy with. In other words, for a man such as Nefarian, you were no fun.
He liked to torment the ladies of the court that wore dresses which caused their bust to spill out over the top. Who laughed too loudly at the jokes of gentleman and court royals and would do anything to better their position. Even offer up their bodies in exchange for power or information. Those were his favourite, as they never seemed to get quite what they had been offered in exchange for their nightly duties. Too many women had been sullied by Nefarian Serpine and a few men had even fallen victim to the same fate.
That was not something you anticipated happening, your position in court was fine just as it was. The less attention you had on you, the less likely you were to be sabotaged and the more likely you were to continue living comfortably and under the radar of the other power hungry mongrels.
"Are you even listening?… My Lady please…", Jorla implied to your better nature, holding your dress for the day over her arm, "You must try to behave according to your status. You are no scholar, you are a lady of this court and need to begin acting as such. If not for yourself, for the sake of my blood pressure".
You smiled sadly at her and slowly slid out from the bed, your nightgown clinging to your thighs from where it has twisted around your body in your sleep, "I'm sorry Jorla… I promise I will only go to the library if I know I can stay awake. If I start to feel tired I will ring for you next time…".
She didn't seem quite convinced, but it was certainly a step in the right direction. With a gentle sigh, she nodded, "Come along then… let's get you dressed for the day. Your hair is as wild as ever and needs to be tamed".
With the pull of a brush and the slip of a sweet smelling hair crème, Jorla skilfully styled your mass of curls and pulled your hair up into an elegant style, with a few lose strands falling around your face to frame it.
Once she seemed satisfied, she removed your night dress and slipped you into your fresh chemise for the day. While you stood beside the bedpost and she laced up your corset, you couldn't help your thoughts wandering once more to the terrifying Lord of the castle.
It was strange how you had slept so peacefully, despite him towering over you. Attributing it to his skill in assassination- or what you assumed he had of it. A man like him, however huge, could disguise his movements as he wished. It shouldn't have been any surprise that he hadn't disturbed you.
However, for some reason it still played on your mind how peaceful everything had seemed until Jorla had stirred you. Lord Mevolent had been considerate enough to preserve your sleep, instead of becoming outraged and calling you behaviour into question. Perhaps it had something to do with his book?
Glancing over to it on your nightstand, you made the conscious decision to finish it. That way when you returned it you may better be able to question his motivation for reading it. If you ever got the chance… it would be interesting to hear his point of view in something so delicate.
Once Jorla had finished fussing over the last details, she fastened a necklace around your neck. She seemed pleased with her efforts as you both left the room and walked down the spiralling stone stairs towards the dining hall where breakfast was being held as usual.
The fragrant smell of rich vanilla pastries danced in and around the sounds of the aristocratic voices already seated in the hall. It was a sound that was always the same, never disrupted. A calm that disguised the plotting, scheming and anterior motives of everyone seated.
In amongst this mundane routine, the disciples of the Faceless, followers of Mevolent, were astonished to hear something truly out of the ordinary. A voice, smooth and deep addressed you just as you were taking your seat.
"I trust you had a restful evening?", Mevolent asked you. Though his face was as relaxed and nonchalant as ever, his tone was slightly warm.
I will be writing shorter chapters from here on out, just because work has been insane coming up to the dreaded Christmas rush （ ；¬＿¬) But enjoy this little continuation as Honey faces the next character being introduced ♥( ˆ⌣ ˆԅ)
"Good evening little darlin', we've been looking everywhere for you".
Honey's head quickly lifted to face the source of the sweet sounding Texan voice. The overhead lights pierced through her tears. She blinked rapidly to try and discern the silhouette towering over her. She rubbed at her eyes before trying to look again, "I'm sorry... You've been looking for… me?".
The man crouched down lowering himself to her eyeline, he rested his hands on his knees with a confident smirk, "Yeah, you are Honey Bellamy aren't you? Phew- you've caused me a bit of trouble tryna track you down".
Honey tilted her head as she looked at him, he was rugged but handsome. His sandy blonde hair was a little messy but it suited him as it brushed against the rim of his sunglasses. It seemed odd that he was wearing sunglasses inside… and when it was beginning to get dark, but to each their own.
"T-Track me down? That sounds rather ominous... who are you?", she asked him with a particularly loud sniffle. The remnants of her sobbing was still plain to see on her forlorn face. It was taking a considerable effort to not break down and start crying again, though with more distance from Nefarian and the argument they had, her pulse was beginning to slow, the adrenaline giving way to emotional exhaustion.
"My name is Billy-Ray Sanguine, hitman deluxe… and today it seems, baby sitter. Your Uncle asked me to find ya. It's a good thing some of my friends often use this hotel, otherwise I'd have had no clue where you would have ended up”.
"My Uncle? Wait- how did you even know I was in the hotel?".
Sanguine sighed in irritation, "I don't particularly like explaining things, darlin'...”, he paused faltering under her expectant eyes and then sighed as he continued, “You were last seen with Nefarian and a shunter, from The Sanctuaries reports. I found the shunter, made him give me the information I needed. Then made sure he wouldn't tell anyone else and then figured out a way to track the hotel. I can be quite the detective when I wanna be... especially when it involves knocking some heads".
He held up a small folded letter with a dark blue wax seal keeping it closed. It was Honey’s family crest, "I was told to give you this when I found ya".
Gently she took the rough paper looking to Sanguine for approval, “Be my guest”, he shrugged, “It's meant for you, a little old fashioned if you ask me but…”.
A small crack resounded as she broke the seal and unfolded the note, it was only short but most definitely in her Uncle's hand;
‘Honeybell,
I am in the safe house in England awaiting you to join me.
Sanguine is under my employ and will accompany you.
Do as he says and we will see each other again soon.
Vengeous' .
As she finished reading she clutched the letter to her chest and a sigh of relief escaped her. Uncle Baron to the rescue. Honey looked back to Sanguine and offered a smile, "I'm sorry to have caused you any trouble Sir… but thank you for finding me”.
Sanguine chuckled, "I've had worse assignments… and it seems you've got the Irish sanctuary all worked up and looking for you- it helped take the heat off of me so I owe you one. Though I still ain't doing this job for free”.
Honey seemed startled that she had caused such an uproar with the officials, though what else could be expected after she had run from the arbiters? Though that was now one of many other problems she had to deal with…
“Mr Sanguine? Are you-”, she lowered her voice to a hushed tone, “Are you the one that broke my Uncle out of prison?”.
He grinned at her, “I am indeed, though please, call me Billy-Ray”.
Honey nodded, “Alright … Billy-Ray. I imagine my Uncle has something planned but- why did he send for me?”.
Sanguine shrugged and stood up straight from his stooped position, holding out his hand to her, “I don't ask those sorta questions… but if I were to harbour a guess- he seemed… worried. I'm not particularly big on family, my own old man is a nightmare. But I guess he might just want to make sure you're safe”.
Honey let out a small weak laugh and took his hand, “That's… understandable. I suppose I haven't been making the best decisions as of late...”. She glanced back down the hallway as she stood. The room she shared with Nefarian was no longer visible and she let out a long wobbly sigh as the corridor only seemed to lengthen.
“You seem awfully distressed- is there anyone that needs killing before we head off lil darlin’?”.
She couldn't tell if he was joking or not… but it was better not to risk it since his first profession was 'hitman'.
Honey looked back at Billy-Ray and shook her head, “N-No it's alright… no killing necessary". Her heart was trying so desperately to scream out over how badly she had been hurt, but it was all just as swiftly swept away as the curse calmed her nerves and eased her pain.
Nefarian had hurt her, deeply. But, despite it all she couldn't help feeling as though he was hurting more… his pain had led him to lash out when he didn't really mean it. And perhaps, he simply needed more time.
They headed down the hall towards the dining area where the tea and coffee station had been set up. Honey smiled at Billy-Ray, "Can I get you something? Or are we leaving straight away?".
"Leaving?", Anton Shudder had paused mid-step as he overheard Honey's words, "You're checking out?".
Honey hesitated for a moment, she hadn't realised that he had been there. She smiled sheepishly at him, noticing he was dressed as impeccably as ever- though a little dark in tone for her tastes- she could still appreciate that he looked damn fine. Surely that suit must be tailored specifically to him...
As her thoughts began to drift, Billy-Ray stepped in with his usual swagger, he wrapped an arm around Honey's shoulder as he addressed Shudder, "Yeah, the both of us will be checking out when we get back to England. That won't be for another hour or so, right? So I'd be more than happy to have a coffee while we wait, thanks for the offer darlin'".
Shudder watched as Honey awkwardly nodded and he frowned, "Every time we meet, I seem to find some unscrupulous character hanging around you my dear...".
Honey looked at Billy-Ray in surprise , as though she had only just noticed that he was a rather shady looking character.
At this Billy-Ray laughed and slapped his thigh, "Well damn, no need to stare so blatantly", he tilted his head in Anton's direction, "There's nothing to worry about, Dead Man, I was just hired to help this one get back to her family. No funny business".
Anton narrowed his eyes, but since she had come here with Serpine he figured that being sent back to her family would likely be a better alternative. So he said nothing further and continued on.
Billy-Ray sat down in an armchair while Honey poured some fresh filter coffee, “Do you have sugar Billy-Ray? Milk?”.
He nodded, “Two sugars no milk”.
She made the coffee, happy to have something else on her mind other than Nefarian’s venomous words. It was good to have a distraction after being forced to face up to something that was all too real…
Mevolent (War Time) x Reader (A lady of his court)
A new ficlet that may become bigger depending on my motivation, but I have had this story in my head for MONTHS and its about time I wrote it down! I haven't been well so it is only short (It also means Concerto was put on the back burner until I feel well enough to write more) But I really hope all you Mevolent simps enjoy! (´つヮ⊂) Props to @mevolentandserafina for helping me feel brave enough to start this project. I owe you one!
The sky was beginning to darken in the earlier hours of the evening as Autumn fell upon the castle. Stars speckled the sky, as the soft pinks and lilacs of dusk began to fade into the deeper purples and blues of night.
Mevolent found this time of year to be most comfortable. A relief from the sweltering heat of summer, where his armour would rub uncomfortably against the garments that protected his skin. He did not mind the heat, but when trapped under layers of either ceremonial garments or heavy gauntlets and chest plates it became rather stifling. He was glad to be rid of it.
Winter did not come without its own drawbacks, sure enough it was a weighty task ensuring that there was enough wood to be burned in the fireplaces that warmed each room. That food had been preserved and stored to last until spring. Even down to the boots that the rotational guards wore, shielding them from the merciless cold.
Regardless, that was neither here nor there. At this current moment, the climate was just as he liked it. Without discomfort pressing at the back of his mind, Mevolent found he had a lot more time and energy to think.
The dark war room, lined with maps, strategy ridden parchments, old tomes and empty goblets now sat deserted. The last candle snuffed out with the slam of the door when Mevolent and his Generals seemed satisfied with their efforts.
So he found himself headed to the library, determined to do one selfish thing before the day had been lost to him completely.
Mevolent's own boots echoed down the hall as the glowing amber lanterns hanging on their parapets lead the way to that quiet corner of the impressive fortress. Guards stationed at their posts straightened as they saw him pass, determined to show their dedication to their Master.
He didn't acknowledge them.
There was only one thing worth his attention now and that was the book that he had taken up reading into the late hours of the night.
The Art of War, by Niccoló Machiavelli.
He had stumbled across it purely by accident, a more on the nose title you could not possibly find. Nevertheless, he found himself drawn in by the sheer logic of Machiavellian thinking. It had been all too easy to apply to himself, which gave the philosophy an important matter of perspective.
Mevolent's own servitude to The Unnamed, had been formed on a basis of fear and isolation. The intense training, the rigorous punishment, never being good enough no matter what he did, no matter how powerful he became… It had made him desperate. He longed for more than what he had. Creating an environment like that had led to The Unnamed's downfall, as Mevolent rose up against him.
Whereas, Machiavelli's ideas proposed a group mentality rather than an isolated one. A disciplined, citizen-based militia that builds a sense of community and healthy competition between brothers in arms. Rather than fearing for their lives, his men were prepared to lay them down for what they believed in and it had made them strong.
What Mevolent sought from this philosophical text, was to gleam a sense of loyalty between his men. He had done more than enough to earn their respect, he saw it every day in how they addressed him that his leadership would not be called into question. But in battle, it was every man for the cause, every man for himself and his army would not last long if they were only prepared to sacrifice themselves for the Faceless Ones return and not for the preservation of each other.
He had hoped Machiavelli had the answers for this.
Mevolent turned the handle of the library door, the familiar metallic clunk of the lock resounded heavily before allowing the hinges of the doors to squeak open.
As he stepped through, Mevolent inhaled the sweet and musty smell of the old books before turning suddenly on his heel and headed towards an alcove where he knew the desired book to be.
The library was always quiet at this time of night, those studious enough to still be here were often scrawling away in the archives, hunched over their own tiny candles in the gloom. Which is why it had surprised him to find one of the young court ladies, slouched over in a chaise lounge by the bookshelves.
The dark burgundy taffeta of her gown reflected the burned orange flames from the overhead lamps. He could see the sleeves of her dress went down to the crook of her elbow, clearly she had been dressed sensibly for the cooler weather by her maid.
She had appeared to be reading at first, but as Mevolent got closer he realised that she had fallen asleep with a book in her hands…
He stood at the foot of the chaise lounge, tilting his head curiously as he watched her head slowly rise and fall with each breath. Her chin had drooped down to her chest, resting against the soft white fabric of her chemise that had bunched up in the awkward way she sat. Her shoulders were hitched up in a position that almost guaranteed she would have a stiff neck tomorrow and Mevolent debated waking her but thought better of it… until he saw the book she had perched on her lap.
The Art of War.
He had to do a double take to make sure it was the right one, both confusion and irritation knitting his brow. Of course, the one pleasure he had afforded himself today was otherwise occupied.
Unsure of what to do, the great warlord found it far easier to retreat on this occasion. He hardly had the energy to deal with a half-asleep woman if he were to try and prise the book from her hands and disturb her rest. With a relinquished sigh, so quiet it wouldn't have even disturbed the dust, Mevolent walked back towards the entrance of the library.
As he reached for the door handle, it sharply turned itself down. Before the door even had time to creak it was flung open as an older maid, a scowl firmly on her brow, barged into the library. Mevolent swiftly stepped to the side, while she scanned to her left as her head turned to the right she all but stumbled back over her feet as the Lord of the Castle stood before her.
"M-My Lord Mevolent… please forgive me… I was not aware you were in here", she bowed low, too low for someone of her age and posture. The white of her apron was dirtied as she had gone about her duties that day, some of the grey hairs falling from her tight bun through her frantic searching.
Mevolent nodded and stepped around her to leave the library, only hesitating for a moment before addressing her, "If you are searching for the young lady in your charge, she is in the Philosophy aisle sleeping… oh and, ask her to return my book once she has finished reading it".
Without another word, he left the maid awestruck as he closed the door to the library behind him. The only sound the gentle creak of the wood and the hurried footsteps of a ladies' maid on a mission to find her mistress.
there's an absolutely appalling lack of x reader content in the skulduggery pleasant fandom, do none of yall wanna fuck the characters yourself? i respect the shipping life but this is ridiculous
Good afternoon! Comin' right at you from the land of the flu. Don't ask me how I somehow managed to write a chapter, while at work with the worst aches, pains and fever... (ᗒᗣᗕ)՞ So now my dear readers... prepare to suffer with me, as Honey and Nefarian reach a breaking point
The tension between them held an extraordinary amount of weight as unspoken words lingered, drifting in and out of the threshold of the room.
There was enough energy to stir the door off its very hinges, enough to collapse the mechanisms in the lock, and crack the wood of the floorboards.
If the feeling weren't already so heavy and stifling that it refused to depart Nefarian and Honey themselves, it would have unleashed chaos around them.
Nefarian still had his fingers curled firmly against the cool metal of the door handle, seemingly ready to slam it closed again at a moment's notice.
Though he had swung it open so quickly in response to Honey's knock, there was a hesitation now in his posture that made it clear if he could take the action back in order to give himself a moment more to think, then he would.
His malachite eyes trailed over Honey, pausing with an intense focus on the deep red tartan trousers that now adorned her legs. Following her figure up, he settled on the shirt clearly a few sizes too big for her and his face distorted into a sneer, "Where the hell have you been?".
It occurred to him that perhaps, she wasn't all that different from other women he had known after all. It was a thought that almost pained him, until reason took over and his heart stilled. He remained quiet, awaiting an explanation that surely would cause most with a more emotionally driven mind to falter.
Nevertheless, Nefarian held emotion in a far different regard than most and he understood well that he could always rely on people for one thing. For that inevitable time when they would turn their back on him once they discovered that he was far too broken to mend.
Over the years he had learned to control when and where it happened, but sometimes it crept up on him from the most unlikely of people… he wasn't in the habit of letting that happen very often.
He had developed an enviable level of perception, a skill he had mastered to evaluate those around him so that he could pre-empt what they may do or say. It was the best possible defence, to read people's actions, words, expressions in order to beat them to the mark right before they had lost all patience with him.
When it was clear they were reaching the precipice, where they could no longer take his deceit, his indifference, he would settle things once and for all, his way.
After a moment, Honey reluctantly tugged at the sleeve of the loose fitting shirt and shrugged her shoulders, a most dismissive gesture, "I was soaked from the rain and didn't want to bother you… Erskine was kind enough to let me borrow these".
Erskine Ravel? She had to be joking.
"Oh did he now?". Nefarian's voice was full of spite as he lifted his head and looked up toward the ceiling, "So it seems you have a type… Do criminals and dangerous sorcerers always strike your fancy?".
Honey's eyes lowered to the floor and her face flushed, "I-It wasn't like that… he just helped me…".
The two of them remained suspended in this parallel until Nefarian huffed in response, "And he didn't gain anything in return after ‘helping’ you? I highly doubt that. If he didn't bother claiming your body then surely he must have gotten information from you. But of course, I'd hardly expect your simplistic, miniscule brain to notice something like that".
The words stung, and Honey shrank back from the door. Her eyes were already sore from having cried so much before, she was not exactly eager to go through that again.
She tried to make sense of his bitterness, tried to make sense of the way he was speaking to her… She had come to check on him, and he was pushing her away. Pushing her far away by being unnecessarily condescending.
But she had been through worse. And her curse gave her an unnerving level of persistence when faced with such animosity. She tried her best to remember what Erskine had told her, that Nefarian was not used to having people be close to him. That he had walls built-up around him to protect himself from ever needing to care about anyone other than himself.
Erskine had been right, it was a huge challenge for Nefarian to overcome this, when he was used to such hyper-independence that his pride would suffer at the admission of needing anyone for anything.
Instead of letting him beat down her resolve, she lifted her gaze back towards him and smiled with all the patience she could muster despite the increasing amount of hostility threatening to crush her spirit, "Nefarian… you're still all wet from the rain. How come you haven't changed your clothes yet?".
His fury was obvious at the abrupt change of the subject, "What does it matter to you?", he snapped, though the sudden chill that prickled his skin made him realise he had indeed neglected to get changed and dry off.
His clothes suddenly felt far too uncomfortable when he was all too aware of how his shirt clung to his skin, how the seams of his trousers rubbed raw against his legs. Had the room always been this cold?
Honey slowly stepped toward him and Nefarian instinctively backed away into the room, scowling at her. Tentatively she lifted her hands and let her fingers curl around the top button of his shirt, "Here… You need to take this off before you catch a cold".
"What in blazers do you think you're doing?!". His breath hitched as the first button came undone under Honey's gentle hands. This was too much, why was she suddenly pretending to care when all this time she had been hiding away in Erskine's room? Had the bastard done the same for her? Tenderly taking off layer after layer of the sodden clothes that had closely hugged her skin.
His mind became utterly undone as it was ravaged with the thoughts of Ravel taking advantage of Honey. Stripping her down… easing her into a sense of comfort. The curse doing nothing to protect her, but instead encouraging her to fall for his charms as though he were doing it simply out of kindness.
He knew better than most that no man would do such a thing purely out of kindness.
It was everything that he should have done himself in order to keep her under his thumb. To take what he could from her before she became dull and uninteresting and he tossed her aside, the same way he always did when he was done with his latest infatuation.
It infuriated him that he had delayed the gratification to himself for so long, only for someone else to undermine his efforts and snatch her away.
Nefarian did not like that. Nobody took what was rightfully his. After weeks of carefully curating the trust that Honey naively had in him only for it to amount to nothing because someone else got there first. Erskine Ravel would pay for this.
"Release me this instant!", Nefarian pushed Honey's hands away, he towered over her with an ever increasing fury. Clearly he had failed in his endeavour to prevent her from becoming too comfortable around him. For in this moment, she seemed all too comfortable stepping over his boundaries, growing bolder with her actions and disregarding the warnings in his voice.
Decidedly, she remained unphased by the harshness of his tone. Honey summoned her courage and stepped closer to him once again, "Please Nefarian… I know you're hurting just- let me help you".
"I don't need your help, you stupid girl. I can undress myself, pity the same can't be said for you".
Once more she shook off his words, scrunching her nose as she tried to fight back against the hurt he was so willingly inflicting upon her.
He doesn't mean it. She tried to tell herself. He is just afraid. Don't give up on him.
"I want to help you Nefarian… please just let me-", as she reached out for the next button on his shirt Nefarian's heart raced like a cornered animal. Though his pulse was thudding wildly, his mind was the opposite, calculated and precise. It was as though they were two separate entities, both trying to dictate how he should react to her unfathomable audacity- though for his heart it was a losing battle when facing up against hundreds of years of practiced detachment.
"No".
His voice came out as little more than a sickening purr. He was not going to restrain himself anymore… she would know the monster that he truly was.
With a swift raise of his hand, Nefarian brought it down again just as quick and struck Honey across the cheek.
The sound echoed throughout the room as it suddenly went silent, Honey's gentle voice halted and her hands fell away from his shirt.
The dumbstruck girl stumbled back from the sheer impact alone. Her eyes were wide as the shock gradually wore off and tears streamed down the mounds of her cheeks. Her hand slowly rose to the reddening patch on her face, cradling it as the pain scorched her nerves.
She looked at Nefarian, shaking a little and he merely scowled and turned away from her so that her woeful expression would not pierce through his dismissive façade.
"Don't look at me like that, don't look at me like you expected this to amount to anything different. Or have you forgotten who I am?", he clenched his fists down by his sides grounding himself in place.
Honey bit at her lip, but straightened her posture despite the throbbing pain she could feel, "No… I haven't forgotten. That's precisely why I am not abandoning you Nefarian. I won't".
"Yes, you will. Everyone does-".
"I won't".
"Then by the Gods I will make it easier for you! You pathetic excuse for a nuisance… if you do not leave me be then I swear it will be the last mistake you make".
He turned to glare at her and lifted his gloved right hand, his frustration practically glowing from his aura as he looked at her in disgust.
Slowly the death magic emanating from his palm, began to engulf his wrist and fingers, disintegrating the leather of his glove until it became nothing but scraps. The material flopped sickeningly wet into the wooden floorboards. His skinless hand, now exposed, pointed mercilessly toward her "Get out. Now".
His voice was belittling and smug as though he were daring her to stay. He wanted to see how far she would press this charade. His eagerness all too intrigued to test the resolve of her curse, her inability to hate.
If she were to die in this moment, it would only be due to the fault of her own infallible persistence in thinking that men like him could be anything other than the monsters everyone knew them to be.
Honey hesitated, "I- I don't want to leave you… but I also understand your hesitance and don't want to make you uncomfortable", despite the situation she found herself in, she was still unable to overcome the curse as it twisted the true fear deep down in her heart, into endurance. "If I stay, I fear I will be overbearing, but if I leave then I have failed… and you will assume I want to leave yo-".
"Stop", Nefarian cursed under his breath, "Stop trying to rationalise this, stop trying to see things from my perspective because you never will", he pointed his finger more sharply at her. "You live in a gilded bubble thanks to your curse. Whatever it is that you think you feel for me- however much you think you may care, it is all a farce. Don't you get it? All of the relationships in your life are nothing but lies".
She had not been prepared for that.
A sinking feeling began to manifest in Honey's stomach, "No No you're wrong… I do actually care-", Honey started but the sob escaping her chest half choked her as Nefarian continued.
"You can't be sure that you care about anything. Not really. Because no matter what, your curse will always leave you feeling disingenuous. No matter how someone hurts you, you will forgive them. No matter what they do, you will understand. You could be standing in front of Mevolent himself, right now and would still feel the same way about him that you do with everyone else you meet in your life. Because your happiness and kindness and charm is reduced to nothing but that curse that rests upon your shoulders. So do not stand there and tell me that you care about me. You have no other choice, it's not real".
"I-… no that's not…", Honey's vision blurred as the many faces of those that she thought she loved danced in her mind's eye. Her parents, having placed a prophecy upon her shoulders, had tortured her and disgraced her. Yet she still loved them. Saracen, who began to doubt her the moment suspicion was cast upon her. Yet she still loved him. Fletcher, who had persuaded her to return to the Church to help assist the woman he had once dated. Yet she still loved him. Erskine, who had lulled her and calmed her until she had spoken from the heart about Nefarian. The very same man who she barely knew, who had tried to subjugate the mortal population. Yet she still seemed to love him too…
Her heart pounded in her chest as she started to question how clouded her judgement really was. She clutched at the shirt covering her shoulders, "I-It's not true…", her voice was withered, it was clear that she was speaking without the conviction she had held in her heart mere moments ago.
Nefarian scoffed and lowered his hand, "Leave me. You have ruined my plans enough already… I have nothing to gain from you that would be of any worth now. Seeing that look on your face- You're not even worth the effort of killing you".
Honey shook her head again, squeezing her eyes shut, but her body was betraying her desire to stay as she started to take steps backwards toward the door.
What Nefarian had said had hurt deeply, it left her feeling as though she had nowhere to go. Not if everyone she thought she could rely on was not actually what she had thought them to be. That no relationship she held dear was actually genuine.
As she reached the door she turned on her heel and ran, leaving Nefarian standing alone in the room behind her.
Sprinting down the corridor through the hotel, she did not know where she was going. All that she knew was that she needed some distance, some time to process this new revelation.
Nefarian had struck her, he had really hit her hard across the face without holding back. The pounding just under her eye implied all that she needed to know about the bruise most-likely forming there. Though that was the least of her concerns at this moment, not after Nefarian had weakened her resolve with pinpoint accuracy, playing on the darkest thoughts in the far reaches of her psyche… her entire sense of self had been called into question.
Honey could not tell which way was up anymore, over the years she had made many friends and had so many people she believed to be beloved to her. Now, she was not so sure. Would she still like those people if she were allowed to hate? If her heart could hold grudges, hold people accountable for doing her wrong- then perhaps she wouldn't still have the relationships that she did.
When she could run no longer, as the corridor came to an end and her chest began to burn from her laboured breathing, Honey sank to the floor and sobbed against the wall, holding her legs tightly to her chest.
Her curls spilled over her face, blocking her view of the other rooms lining the hallway as she rocked gently back and forth. With each anguished cry that raked its way down her spine, she trembled under the burden of this newfound perspective of her curse.
It was all too much for her, she had never thought about her curse in this way before…that it was a mass of little substance that diminished her true feelings. Albeit, for now the one thing had come to pass that she had truly feared all along…
She was alone.
"Good evening little darlin' , we've been looking everywhere for you".
I hope you enjoyed reading! I don't often write angst or confrontation like this, but it was so fun to tap into the darker side of a relationship with a character like Nefarian! See you next week ( ͡°Ɛ ͡°)
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Good afternoon dearies! I have been on a bit of a slump lately... so I wrote some lore for our Nefarian and his rambling thoughts. I feel like I could write him thinking this way for ages... so it came easier. I hope it is an enjoyable read for a filler chapter
(˃ᆺ˂✿)
To summarise the collapse of your entire worldview, is no easy task- even for the most literate.
Nefarian Serpine had retreated into the hotel room at the soonest opportunity, sealing himself away from the ever-changing world threatening to topple him with every new revelation.
It had been confusing enough having to flee his dimension where law and order had made sense. The sorcerers ruled, the weak mortals were under that rule. Through Mevolent's leadership Nefarian had been at the forefront of every decision, each day was practically hand-crafted to revolve around his whims.
The powerful remained in charge, the weak subservient to their bidding. Wealth and status engulfed him, as though it were his birth right, despite a feeble upbringing. He had clawed, bit and spat his way to the top and holding that position through any means necessary had been all that ever mattered.
Nothing would be worth giving up the comfort and control he had as long as he remained in that castle.
The approval of Baron Vengeous, Eliza Scorn and the rest of Mevolent's acolytes had not mattered. For he remained right by Mevolent's side, much to the dismay of such large quantities of people that Nefarian himself was still surprised that he had managed to outlast so many of them. Day after day, was meticulously planned, from the food he consumed, the battles he strategized, the training he endured and the soulless physical affections he stole- leaving withered hearts in his wake.
His existence was nothing short of god-like. Until suddenly, everything that they had worked towards came to fruition,
The Bellamy girl, completely devoid of any emotion, was a cradle of corrupted magic. Her whole being consumed by the dark deeds she had been encouraged to commit from the moment she had been blessed by the Church.
Her voice was sacred, even when speaking she was reserved as though each word was too previous to have been uttered. Her sentences were short and blunt, her gaze almost never left the floor.
It always seemed as though she was looking at something, far far away, something that nobody else was able to see. Her entire sense of self was not entirely present, while she kept all of that darkness within herself until the moment Mevolent called for its use.
And by the gods did he call.
When it was finally time for her to sing, when all the preparations had been met and they felt ready for the return of their merciless Gods, The Faceless were summoned. Harmonie Bellamy's voice rang out with the cursed language of The Faceless, dark magic curling and coiling around her body as though dancing to her hymn. Her dark melodies echoed through the vast chambers of the Church... and they were answered.
Only one of The Faceless Gods managed to get through, her body too feeble to stay intact while being used as an isthmus anchor for a being quite so powerful. But that had been enough.
There was nothing left of her once the Faceless One had come through, not even a shred of fabric from her ceremonial dress. The creature rampaged, destroyed and killed indiscriminately to the point where even a few of the devout had called for it to be exterminated.
Mevolent had no choice, and was forced to kill the creature with an assembly of his most powerful sorcerers. In the wake of the attack, the decimation across the country was seen and felt by everyone, mortal and sorcerer alike.
Strongholds that had once housed those that opposed Mevolent's rule had all but collapsed. While they struggled to pick up the pieces Mevolent used this to his advantage and launched a barbaric power-grab to force his enemies so deep underground that any pitiful attempt they made for a coup would be so easily thwarted it would be laughable.
After Valkyrie Cain had made her presence known in their dimension, and Mevolent caught wind of another world untouched by the slowly growing afflictions of his own, his successes seemed insurmountable. His desire for control and power of this alternate world became too great, as his attention turned toward finding a way over there so he could once again rule and begin his search for the Faceless anew.
There were those still in mourning of their Concerto's sacrifice, specifically the Bellamy family who now held far more authority than they deserved on the shoulders of their deceased daughter. The added loss of their one deity that had made it through to cleanse this world, made some begin to question the necessity of taking over another dimension in order to bring their Gods back.
Baron Vengeous was at the front of this movement, and it soon picked up traction. Nefarian, sensing the downfall of Mevolent, the slow crumbling of this life he had built, turned his back on everything he knew in order to escape to this new dimension that seemed so full of opportunity.
As he had hoped, it was far safer than the world he had left behind. It had its share of conflict, religious sycophants, death, discrimination and cruelty. But it was masked by a vast expanse of capitalism, overconsumption, some of the most stunning natural landscapes he had ever seen... and technology.
His mind reeled as it tried to make sense of, not only the new age of societal structure, but how much technology had advanced and benefitted not only the mortal population but that of the sorcerers too.
His vast intellect felt challenged for the first time in a hundred years, people had bigger and more diverse philosophical ideas. Medicine was so well studied that things such as microbes, not even visible to the naked eye, were so well researched that even the common population held such knowledge as though it were normal.
His options seemed limitless.
Stumbling through that portal, and finding his way to the Church of the Faceless he began his ascent to power once more and this time it was all too easy to manipulate a growing organisation that was still grappling with its leadership. With the absence of Mevolent, and Baron Vengeous, Nefarian came to realise how much these people believed they needed him and he was all too happy to accept his role with a confident smile.
But once again, everything seemed to change with the introduction of that Bellamy girl. All of the work he had put into hiding money away, arranging fake plans to help bring Mevolent over to this dimension… Even helping The Arbiters by sending them anonymous letters to give them hints so they could stop Mevolent before he even had to act on his plan- it had all come to a grinding halt the moment that Vengeous had been broken out of prison.
He just could not make sense of it.
He should have left her to get taken in by The Arbiters, he should have allowed her to be taken into the sanctuary and questioned and then dismissed once they figured she was innocent and had nothing to do with Baron’s escape.
Nevertheless, when he saw her eyes pleading with him to help her as she was cornered into an impossible situation, he felt inclined to act. She was too close to getting caught up in something that was far bigger than her... just as she had before in his world.
Something in him had become desperate to prevent it from happening again. Especially after the kindness she had shown him up until that point...
From the moment that she had decided to be honest with him, revealing her identity even though he could have used it against her, he had felt his guard slipping. Every waking moment of his life, he was either treated as some kind of burden, or some kind of obstacle and it was a constant fight to stay on top of all that threatened him.
Yet, with her... she expected nothing, she laughed with him, she teased him. She treated him like a person, like he was something more than what everyone expected him to be. A conniving, backstabbing, self-serving cretin that saw nothing to gain from external relations other than what he could reap from them personally.
He had lived up to these expectations to an immaculate degree his entire life and yet... she looked at him as though he was something more. Something far more human which did not suit him.
But part of him was starting to think that maybe, he could do something to be deserving of the faith she had in him. The way that this version of the Bellamy girl... Honey, smiled at him and made his troubles seem like they were 100 miles away was enough to make him feel as though he were on the brink of a heart attack.
It was panic inducing, being on the receiving end of that level of unwarranted affection. Seeing the innocence in her gaze, her eyes mellow and sweet- never holding him akin to any kind of expectation.
He could simply be and she would be happy for it... that was how he had felt when they shared a meal amid the glow of the television screen the night before they had fled. Her world had been turned upside down just as much as his had. She was alone in all of this similarly to him and instead of finding camaraderie in each other, he had run the moment he felt cornered into that same cage of expectation.
He knew what she wanted from him. She wanted a friend, someone to be beside through the difficulties they were facing. To find comfort in each other despite everything. But, he simply couldn't.
The part that was the most frustrating was that he could not discern why. Normally, it would be easy enough for him to feign fondness for the girl. It's not as though she would be difficult to manipulate- after all, he had already begun to do so. Easing her into relying on him to the point where she had trusted him to help her flee the law when it finally caught up.
And yet, he had deliberately not taken it too far. He held back his words and his actions, giving her distance through his mannerisms. All to prevent her from becoming too comfortable around him, to stop her from assuming that he cared enough to be that close to her. Even if it was something he found himself longing for, the moment he let it slip she would never let it go.
Perhaps that's what he was so afraid of.
He knew that Honey was a glowing beacon of light in the dark recesses of this world. Someone like that, didn't belong beside someone like him, and considering how stubborn she could be he knew he would never be rid of her if she figured out that he needed her in ways he had never really paid attention to before.
This was different from the concubines of Mevolent's court, who so freely gave their love. Or the conspiratorial aristocracy that paraded relations as though they were trophies. This girl genuinely cared for others.
She was such a strange contrast to who he knew Baron Vengeous to be and he wondered how she had ever formed a familial relationship with him in the first place, to earn such a sweet nickname as Honeybell.
If she could charm her way into the Baron's heart, to soften his iron disposition enough for him to love her, then she was truly a fearsome creature. But for such a woman to become attached to Nefarian himself, he knew he would do something to hurt her. Something to break her. Something that she didn't deserve simply by being kind and showing him the care that not one person in his life had ever tried to offer without squeezing something from him in return.
His mind ran rampant with how he could use that to his advantage, how her devotion could be beneficial to him if only he channelled it the right way, and this would be the internal struggle he would forever face.
He didn't want to be constantly fighting these thoughts about Honey, he was not strong enough to resist the pull that she had over him. And he knew with certainty, especially after his outburst today, that she was far too fragile to be able to see him at his worst and come out of it unscathed... so why did he find himself selfishly willing her to knock on that door and save him from himself?
Nefarian took a moment to step back from his paralysing level of rumination, forcing air into his lungs slowly and deliberately in order to gain some level of control over his consciousness. His tight shoulders gradually fell loose, he swooped a hand through his hair and straightened the rolled cuffs of his sleeves.
‘Compose yourself’, he thought bitterly, finding it distasteful how much time he had lost rummaging through his feelings like they mattered.
How miraculously he seemed to pull himself together was all but wasted the moment he heard a faint knock on the door. His shoulders immediately shot back up, as he flinched into them.
Perhaps he just misheard the sound, it could have been anything in this old building knocking about…
Until it sounded again. Clearer this time, more sure. A simple pattern of knocks against the wooden door. It would have been embarrassing if anyone else had witnessed the way Nefarian stumbled over his own feet to reach out to the handle and grab it. His shirt sleeves once again bundling up around the crook of his elbow.
He reminded himself to stand up straight as he threw open the door, his eyes searching expectantly and landing on Honey’s bashful face as she offered him a timid smile.
My week off has come to an end far too quickly... but I will find joy in writing again. I hope I can get ahead of myself again to keep publishing regularly.
It had rained, just as Erskine had expected.
What he had not anticipated was how easy it would be to get Honey alone once she had returned back to the hotel. He watched from his bedroom window, overlooking the front entrance, as Honey followed behind Nefarian like she had just had the scolding of a lifetime.
Something had clearly happened that had created a divide between the two, providing the perfect opportunity for him to make his move. This should be a piece of cake.
Erskine pushed away from the windowsill and adjusted his shirt collar, running his fingers around the rim to ensure it was smoothed out before he left his room. He lingered in the hallway letting Nefarian go storming past. At the slam of the door he listened intently for a small sound, anything to interrupt the quiet…
A sniffle, and then the shuffling of feet, he stepped around the corner at the top of the stairs almost bumping straight into Honey. Perfect.
He held his hands up and chuckled at her, "Woah there- careful Miss you almost… hey… what's the matter? Are you alright?".
It was easy enough for him to feign ignorance as to why she seemed so distressed, it was another challenge trying to get her to open up about it so he could get details. But this was somewhere he excelled, people always opened up to him one way or another. It was a truly despicable talent, making people expose their feelings, laying them bare for him to see and use as he saw fit. But, it was what Anton had asked of him, so who was he to question the warden?
Honey wiped at her eyes, though her hair continued to drip rain water down onto the tip of her nose, she was soaked through. "I- I'm fine… we just got caught in the rain and- well, I think Nefarian just needs some time alone…". She was clearly trembling from the cold, her shoulders shaking as the rest of her tried in vain to maintain some sense of composure.
Erskine's brow raised slightly as she responded, "Oh- you're talking!". This certainly made things easier for him, it was second nature to hold back when writing things down, but openly speaking often makes you say more than you intended to. He made a mental note to adjust his approach.
He placed a warm hand on her damp shoulder and offered a sympathetic smile, "I saw Serpine go storming into his room… Is everything okay between you two?".
As Honey went to protest, immediately in Nefarian's defence, Erskine shook his head, "No, no. Forget I asked. But you are soaked and it doesn't seem like he is accepting visitors so… you can come and warm up in my room". He stepped to her side, gently rested his hand on the small of her back and began leading her down the hallway.
Ask an invasive question, refuse to listen to the answer, feign disinterest in the quarrel and focus your efforts on relieving her suffering. Soon enough, she would give him what he wanted. He just needed to be patient.
Honey pressed her weight into her heels to stop walking, but upon feeling his hand uncomfortably low on her back she continued on, "W-What? Oh no, you really don't have to-".
"I insist. Please, you'll catch a cold if you stay in those wet clothes…", as they came up to the room Erskine wasted no time in opening the door. The fire inside was lit and roaring, a warm comforting glow poured from the space and it pulled Honey in without her even realising.
She was freezing, and all she could think about was how her bones ached, weighed down by the wet fabric clinging to her skin. That fire was exactly what she needed, she hugged her arms around herself and shuffled along towards it.
Erskine closed the door softly behind him, leaving it unlocked so she didn't start to feel cornered, before ducking into the wardrobe. Grabbing a pair of tartan pyjama bottoms and a black shirt he crossed over to the fireplace and offered them to Honey, "You can change in the bathroom if you like, there should be a fresh towel in there to dry up with".
She looked up at him, pushing her wet hair back from her forehead and smiled sweetly. She nodded her thanks and made her way into the bathroom to change and dry herself.
Erskine recalled that when she had prepared a drink for herself and Nefarian before, she had chosen tea. She seemed to favour it over coffee, so he prepared a herbal chamomile in the kitchenette that sat in the corner of the room. Humming gently, he made noise so she could figure out where he was, helping her feel less fearful once she stepped out of the bathroom.
He needed to let her think that she was in control of the situation.
As she peered out from the door of the bathroom, he let her approach steadily behind him while he made the tea, waiting until the last moment to jump slightly and chuckle, "Geez- you came out of nowhere…". He glanced back at her and saw a more authentic smile on her face, she peered over his arm at the tea and the smile widened as she breathed in the scent.
She seemed much warmer, the trembling had stopped, her hair was only a little damp with her curls hanging loosely around her shoulders. She looked cute in those pyjamas, the waistband was pulled tight at the drawstring, a neat little bow securing them. The shirt had been tucked in, though it still drowned the top half of her silhouette, especially around her shoulders.
"You look a lot more comfortable…", Erskine's voice was laced with charm as he spoke. He gestured for Honey to take her tea and she grasped the handle of the mug nodding politely, "Thank you… for your help. I don't mean to intrude".
Erskine picked up his own mug, moving back to his chair in front of the fireplace, "It's no trouble. Besides, I don't have much to keep me entertained around here except the view outside my window changing every 12 hours- speaking of which…".
That familiar crack resounded through the hotel, as it started to teleport to its next location. Honey followed Erskine and sat on the floor in front of the fire, holding tightly onto her mug as she squeezed her eyes shut, "It's still so jarring… I don't know how you get used to this".
Erskine chuckled softly, "I've been here a while now… it's become quite normal".
As the noises subsided and the tranquillity of the crackling fire returned, Honey opened her eyes and let out a gentle sigh, "It's over… Do you know where we are now?".
Erskine glanced out of the window, it was early morning, condensation was building up in the corners of the glass panes, "Hm… well since we just came from Canada- I think we are in New Zealand now, don't quote me on it but I'm pretty sure".
Honey let out a sad laugh, "I've never travelled this much before. Usually I'd be quite excited to see the sights but…".
Erskine slowly lowered his mug from his lips as he watched her shoulders slump, "Do you want to talk about it?", he asked, "I imagine that you must be in quite a difficult spot if you've come here…".
Honey sipped at her own tea and shrugged, "It's complicated… Long story short, it seems I'm being accused of a crime I didn't commit. Nefarian helped me get out of trouble… though I am not sure where to go from here".
Erskine listened intently, filling in the blanks as much as he could. He knew that Nefarian Serpine of the Leibniz dimension had come across to this dimension and was being monitored by The Sanctuary- he knew he was gaining power and influence, likely through the church. But that was the extent he had heard through rumours and hushed whispers from other travellers passing through the hotel. What he was doing with this young woman was a bit of a mystery.
He smirked at her and nodded, "I see… so you've been making your own trouble, but Nefarian helped bail you out? That is unlike him…".
Honey's expression turned fond and she looked down into her mug of tea, "So I've heard… he did seem scary at first. But, the more I've spoken to him the more I've come to realise that he is just trying to move forward. His past is tainted, he won't tell me much but living here and seeing our world thrive, I think it has helped him realise that there is a life outside of scheming and backstabbing. He just wants to find happiness, same as anyone else… but I don't think he finds himself deserving of that happiness sometimes. Earlier we-…", she cut herself off as her voice cracked.
Erskine leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees, "It's alright… what happened earlier?". He was being so patient with her, not putting on any pressure, just lingering quietly for long enough until she poured her heart out.
"It's just-".
Got her.
"While we were walking… we were having a lovely time. I was holding onto his arm as we walked back to the hotel. He seemed a little off- and when I tried to reassure him, he suddenly pulled away. I-I'm not sure if he doesn't trust me or… maybe he doesn't trust himself but it was like he suddenly put up a wall where there wasn't one before and it was so immediate- and then the rain started. It all ended rather miserably…", she sipped at her tea again trying to calm herself as she spoke.
She could feel the tears threatening to fall, it had hurt her how quickly he had pushed her away. Her throat was sore as her body desperately fought back against the oncoming onslaught of emotion. Erskine lowered himself from the chair and sat beside her, putting himself on even ground so that she could see his eyes, "Not the best end to the day… He probably just finds it difficult to let people in and it sounds to me like you are breaking down his walls. That's probably rather scary for someone like him".
Honey nodded and finally let herself cry, Erskine didn't recoil from her tears or scold her for them, so they just kept coming as relief flooded her from finally being able to process everything that had happened. She had given up everything to start a new life and in less than a year, everything she had worked for had fallen apart. Some of it, she most definitely held the blame, like sneaking into the Sanctuary prison to see her Uncle, rousing suspicion. The rest of the unfortunate circumstances that followed her were like a plague, destroying everything in their path.
Erskine extended an arm, she put down her tea and leaned against his chest, he felt her fist curl against his shirt, "I'm in the middle of nowhere, I trusted him and- I don't want him to leave…". Her chest heaved with sobs as she cried into him, her fears tumbling out before she could stop them. She knew she had placed too much faith in Nefarian, she was reliant on him to a fault and was so scared that he was going to abandon her.
All she could think of were all the reasons why he should leave her, why he should move on and detach himself from the mess she had left in her wake.
"I-I think… I'm forcing him into a friendship he doesn't even want. I don't want him to resent me for caring about him- but I can't help it…I can't stand the thought of him being all alone".
Erskine stroked her back and let out a gentle sigh. Now he actually felt bad for pushing her into this little breakdown- though it seemed long overdue. She truly was a sensitive little thing, "Everything you are saying is so selfless… What about yourself? You're spending all your energy looking after someone who doesn't really seem grateful for it".
Honey shook her head against his shoulder, "But he does really… He shows his gratitude in small ways. I just- didn't mean to overwhelm him and I feel so guilty".
Erskine couldn't believe what he was hearing, he stared down at her and his heart raced a little at the dawning realisation, "Honey… you sound like- like you really care about him".
She sniffled and rubbed her eyes looking up at Erskine, "Well sure, of course I do…", confusion knit her brow, "You look worried, why are you worried?".
Erskine went to speak, but as he leaned closer to her he knocked over the remaining tea in her mug, "Ah- shit. Sorry, did any get on you?".
Honey moved her hip away from the hot tea pooling close to her thigh sitting up on her knees and shook her head, "N-no I'm alright…". She wobbled and her hands came to land on Erskine's shoulders, his hands finding her hips to hold her upright, "Woah, steady on…". He chuckled earnestly at the blush on her cheeks and slowly let one hand drop from her hip, though he let it brush against her as he moved, "Apologies…". The tone of his voice made it clear he wasn't sorry for how close they were…
Honey smiled awkwardly before moving out of Erskine's grasp and out of the way of the pooling tea, "Will Anton be upset with us for spilling that on the floor?".
Erskine shook his head, missing the warmth of her closeness already, "Nah, it won't stain the wood". He got up and retrieved a cloth from the kitchenette, before kneeling down to mop up the tea. As he cleaned he glanced over at Honey who was awkwardly shifting her weight on her knees, clearly getting a little antsy.
"Go see him", he said as he finished cleaning the floor. "It's been long enough, I'm sure he's cooled down".
Honey seemed startled that he knew what she was thinking, but she didn't want to be rude and just leave after he had been so kind to her. He tried not to pay attention as she stood, so it took him by surprise when she stooped down and kissed his cheek softly, "Thank you… For everything". Before he could stop her she bounded toward the door, clearly a lot lighter after their conversation. She turned the door handle and as she went to step out into the hallway Erskine called out to her,
"Honey?".
"Hm? Oh- the pyjamas, I will return them tomorrow, I promise!".
He chuckled and shook his head, "Keep 'em. Just know- Nefarian is luckier than he realises to have you. Believe me when I tell you that, okay?".
Honey nodded gratefully with a watery smile, before she turned and walked back towards the shared room at the end of the hall.
"Good god…", Erskine mumbled to himself, "She's a goner".
Good morning darlings! I am jetsetting myself, off to Marbella for a few days! By the time this posts, I should have landed... happy reading (≖ᴗ≖✿)
The briny breeze lifted Honey's curls as she walked along Menesetung Bridge, it had the most incredible view of the Maitland River and the surrounding landscape.
As each distant tree swayed, it created a myriad of green shades rippling on either side of the riverbank. Though it was quite a ways inland, the water still held the same revitalising freshness of the seafront. The air was cool and all the open space was exactly what she had needed after fearing her impending (and unjustified) detainment.
It was approaching noon, in the far distance a cluster of grey clouds clamoured amongst themselves. In contrast, right here and now the sun was reaching its peak and Honey's ice cream was definitely starting to feel its intensity as a small blob melted onto her finger. She smiled and licked at it, trying to savour every last drop. Nefarian followed close behind, absentmindedly licking at his own ice cream, wondering how they got so much sugar into one small piece of food.
He watched as she took in her surroundings, her eyes were in awe of everything that she saw. From the simple birds flying overhead to the rush of water 60ft below them as it tumbled towards the sea. "How are you so inquisitive about such mundane things?", he asked her suddenly, "You act like you've never seen such sights before...".
Honey turned to face him with a gentle smile, "Hm?".
He stopped walking and leaned against the balustrade to stare down into the depths below, "Our current circumstances are not the best. We are hiding from the very people you think of as friends because they suspect you of being treacherous. Doesn't it make you angry? Or at the very least upset? I know you cannot hate... but is the curse really that strong that you remain entirely unaffected by things like this?".
Honey licked at her ice cream again before walking up beside Nefarian, she stood so close to him that her arm was softly pressed against his. She didn't really seem to notice, but to Nefarian it was difficult not to notice it. How warm her skin was, how the fabric of his rolled up sleeve was pressed firmly against his forearm. He scowled at himself, feeling rather foolish getting so worked up over the slightest of touches.
Finally, she broke the silence lingering between them, "It's not the curse...", she murmured tentatively. Having considered her words carefully she fought back against the fear of speaking without her necklace, "I do feel sad. I want them to trust me. I want my Uncle to be safe. But, I am here with you in this beautiful place. It would be a shame to waste it worrying when I can't do anything about it right now".
She licked at her ice cream again. satisfied that she had managed to speak clearly and shifted her eyes from the horizon toward Nefarian. He was staring at her with an expression she was not quite used to. He often seemed confused by things she did or said, but this time it seemed that what she had said had resonated with him.
He was on the verge of saying something, but was not quite sure how to phrase it, uncertain of his own words rather than hers, which was not something that happened very often. Honey then bumped against him playfully and slowly rested her cheek against his shoulder, her weight shifting so that her weight was leaning on him.
He didn't pull away, despite the tension she could feel in his body. She let out a soft sigh, relaxing herself, almost guiding him on how to do the same. Slowly, Nefarian let out a breath and Honey smiled to herself as she felt him relax a little, "I don't want you to think that I'm only here because of the curse Nefarian... I can make my own decisions. I ran away from home after all and from The Arbiters too. The curse makes me understanding and prevents me from holding resentment, but I wouldn't be here with you now if I didn't want to be.. oh-!".
She let out a gasp as she fumbled with her ice cream and it fell over the edge of the bridge, tumbling to an untimely death, "Darn", she grumbled watching as her sweet treat disappeared forever.
Nefarian smirked and let out a low chuckle, he surprised himself, not laughing at her suffering but more finding amusement in her clumsiness. He held his half-finished ice cream out to her, "Take mine. It is far too sweet for me anyway...".
Honey smiled at him gratefully and reached out for the cone, her fingers gently brushing against his as he passed it over, "Are you sure?..". He nodded and before she could get a proper grip on the cone he let it go.
Honey gasped and watched for the second time, as an ice cream cone twirled through the air and fell down into the abyss. She snapped her head up to Nefarian with a look of utter betrayal, "Y-you did that on purpose!".
He merely shrugged in response and carried on walking, quite pleased with himself that she had fallen for such a trick. He halted in his tracks as the strangest noise came from behind him... Honey was laughing. He turned to face her again and she was clutching her stomach, doubled over laughing brightly. He couldn't help it, a chuckle slipped from him before he was laughing softly too, "Why on earth are you laughing?", he asked her with disbelief on his face.
"Just- the absurdity of it... it caught me off guard-", she carried on giggling as she caught up with him, struggling to catch her breath, "Shall we head back?", she asked him, getting a little wary of the time now that she was aware the hotel could potentially leave without them.
Nefarian nodded, a fond smile on his face, "If we head back now then we can take our time... It seems I quite like it here, so I'd rather not rush". He frowned at his own words, how ridiculously sentimental.
Honey suddenly had the biggest smile on her face, "Nefarian!", she cried gleefully. He huffed and looked away from her, "Don't go getting all excited now, I merely said-".
"No!", Honey beamed, "Just- we should go swimming in the sea, shouldn't we?".
Nefarian paused and frowned, "I thought we already agreed not to do that? It's disgusting and I'd rather not- oh now what?", he snapped seeing the shine in her eyes practically glowing as she stared at him.
"You said no... I spoke to you without my necklace... and you said no", she let out a breathless little laugh and her shoulders slumped with relief, "My magic... I-I didn't even realise that I was controlling it".
Nefarian's features softened as he realised the gravity of her discovery, "I see..", he said softly, deciding to smooth out his tone to better suit her vulnerability, "I suppose that's well enough, though I must say I will likely find myself yearning for the tranquillity of yesterdays silence".
She smirked at his teasing and held onto his arm as the two started to walk back the way they had come, "I hate to disappoint you... but I missed being able to talk so I'm not giving it up again unless I have to". He rolled his eyes in response, but continued walking with her regardless.
Just before they reached the precipice of the bridge Nefarian glanced down at Honey and cleared his throat, "I-uhm... appreciate what you were trying to say earlier. That- despite the curse, you are choosing to be here with me. The sentiment, though most likely inaccurate, is still welcome".
Honey beamed up at him and squeezed his arm in a tiny little hug, "It is not inaccurate- You make me laugh and conversations with you are weighted with intellect, you have a sharp wit and keep me on my toes, help me to see things from a different perspective... and you are actually quite considerate. I adore spending time with you".
By the time she had finished rambling, she finally noticed how panicked his expression was. Nefarian snatched his arm away from her and held it close to him as though her touch had burned, his breathing was rapidly increasing. "Nefarian? Whatever is the matter?".
Nefarian could feel his heart beating fast, people didn't treat him this way unless they wanted something. Nobody was this kind for nothing, and he couldn't stand the thought of Honey following through with such a ruse. Surely she had something to gain from all this? He couldn't bring himself to trust that she was actually okay with being uprooted, agreeing to run away with him, enduring his spite... Nobody in their right mind would be able to stand him- cursed or otherwise.
Honey took a step toward him, arm outstretched with concern etched on her face, "Nef-".
"Just don't!", he snapped, marching ahead of her with his shoulders hunched, "I don't want to hear another word out of your mouth for the rest of the walk back. Is that clear?!".
The sudden change jarred Honey out of the comfortable warmth she had found herself in all morning, "What?... But- I thought-".
"Not. A. Word", he repeated, turning to look at her with such fury behind his eyes that she looked genuinely fearful of him. He almost- almost hesitated at that moment, he didn't want her to look at him like that. The way that everybody else did. Hesitant, scared that they would become the next victim of his whim. But he couldn't stand it anymore. How close she was getting, how comfortable it felt, how she seemed to see something in him that he knew simply was not there.
Nefarian straightened up and began the walk back to the hotel, leaving Honey trailing after him, once again returning to silence. She tried to swallow down the despair in her heart, suddenly feeling a lot colder as the once distant clouds approached and rolled over the sun in the sky.
She was thankful for the small droplets of rain that quickly escalated into a downpour disguising the tears rolling down her cheeks. The last thing she wanted was for Nefarian to see her crying again, she had troubled him enough for one day.
Blossoming tension between the two... I wonder who could possibly take advantage of that in the next chapter? ( ͡°з ͡°)
Good afternoon/evening! Apologies for the late upload, I had work and tonnes of things to do today! Just a filler chapter this week, preparing for larger things to come! (´•̥ᴥ•̥`)
Breakfast couldn't come soon enough, Nefarian needed a distraction from his never ending thoughts and Honey was absolutely starving- it was making the unusually chirpy woman humorously grouchy.
She certainly had a more rigid approach to getting ready in the morning when food was suddenly involved. With her curls loose and bouncing across her shoulders, she grabbed her notepad and marched out of the room, looking over her shoulder eagerly trying to get Nefarian to follow her. He was not far behind, locking the door before they trod down the stairs.
The magnificent aroma of bacon, sausages, warm buttery toast, beans and eggs drifted through the air and it practically brought Honey to tears. Following her nose, she came into a small dining room and grinned at the gleaming breakfast buffet spread before them. She popped the notepad under her arm and grabbed a plate, making a beeline for the tray of crisp golden hashbrowns.
Nefarian had been in hotels before, he was aware that they had breakfasts like this often on display, he had not expected The Midnight Hotel of all places to have such a nice one. Anton Shudder truly was a strange man for giving such a service to criminals, outlaws and other unscrupulous characters. But he was not prepared to complain about it, especially when he could eat his fill without having to lift a finger.
Perhaps that was the very thing keeping them all satiated enough to follow the no violence rule. It certainly helped improve Honey’s mood as she had come down that morning.
As the two of them sat down, Honey's plate absolutely piled high and Nefarian's a little more reserved, they tucked into their delicious breakfast. Honey had been so focused on eating, she hadn't noticed Erskine as he came up beside their table and laughed at how much food was on her plate, "You know- you can always go back for seconds... thirds even, considering the size of your portion".
Honey glanced at Erskine, then back at her plate and giggled shyly, reconsidering quite how high she had piled up her breakfast.
Nefarian glowered, "Her appetite is none of your business", he said sharply, making it clear the other man was not welcome at the table.
Erskine sat anyway, completely ignoring the animosity being directed his way. Putting his own plate down which merely had scrambled egg and toast, he continued, "I never said it was a bad thing, just thought it would be a shame if any of it went cold before she could eat it".
Honey smiled reassuringly at Nefarian then pulled out her notepad, she quickly scribbled down, 'I can finish it before it gets cold- I will take you up on getting an extra plate though'.
As Erskine read, he let out an amused chuckle and shook his head, "You really are a character. How did you end up saddled with him?". He didn't even look at Nefarian despite referring to him.
Nefarian scoffed in response, "I resent that. I am saddled with her. Which I would argue is far worse”.
Honey scribbled in her notepad again and held it out, 'Nefarian has been nothing but kind, in his own way. He is looking out for me'.
Erskine looked from the pad up to her and leaned back in his chair, nibbling at the corner of his toast. He glanced sideways at Serpine who had gone back to eating his breakfast and let out a sigh, "Alright then... As long as he isn't getting you into any trouble. I can't imagine any other reason as to why you would be here".
Honey paused before she wrote her next response, then smirked as she held out the pages, "I get myself into my own trouble". Under her words she had doodled a little version of herself, laughing maniacally with flames behind her.
Erskine nodded approvingly, "I see, I see... a regular little troublemaker".
Nefarian put his mug down on the table loudly and shot a glare at Erskine, "What exactly are you up to?". That familiar suspicion was boiling up inside him, the man was prying and trying to get what information he could about Honey, he didn't like that. Not one bit.
Erskine put his hands up in defence, still holding onto his slice of toast, "I'm not up to anything, I get bored, forgive me for engaging in one of the more interesting methods of conversation I have had in a while".
Nefarian narrowed his eyes, still suspicious, his glare only intensified until Honey put a gentle hand on his arm. She scribbled in her notepad once more and was careful not to show Erskine what was written, 'Please don't worry. I won't tell him anything important'. She winked mischievously and sat upright before biting into a hashbrown, savouring the crunch it made.
The scowl on Nefarian's features relaxed slightly, as he saw how concerned Erskine looked at the fact she hadn't shared with him what was written. It was nice to see the man humbled slightly, and Nefarian felt all the more smug for it. He supposed, she wasn't entirely stupid, which was something to be grateful for. They finished the rest of their breakfast in a peaceful quiet until Nefarian spoke once more, to really rub salt into the wound.
"How about we venture outside today? It looks like it's going to be warm and sunny... Do you fancy that?".
The gasp that came from Honey all but confirmed how wonderful she found the idea and Nefarian grinned in response at her ever increasing eagerness, "Shame you can't join us Ravel, but we will bring back a souvenir, perhaps”.
Erskine let out a slight laugh, though it was clear that the words had stung. That was a low blow.
Honey flipped the page in her notebook and quickly jotted down a list of things before tearing out the page and handing it to Nefarian.
He looked at the list over his coffee and frowned, “Oh absolutely not- we can't possibly do all that in less than twelve hours…”.
Honey looked at him sadly and used her fork to stir at her beans, a soft pout puffing out her cheeks.
“What are you doing?”Nefarian asked, narrowing his eyes at her.
Erskine smirked, “Um… I believe she is sulking. You have officially made her sulk Nefarian”.
“Oh for goodness sake- well it is not going to work. I'm not going completely out of my way to do all of these ridiculous things…”.
Honey nodded slowly and continued to stir at her beans, not really looking up at either of them anymore as the disappointment was apparent on her face. She reached out to her notepad and then gently scrawled, ‘it's okay, I understand’.
As Nefarian read the note he nodded abruptly, “Good. That’s more like it”.
Erskine frowned, “Oh my god… how dense can you be?”.
Nefarian shot a glare at him.
“She clearly wants to do all those things with you… I have no idea why, but surely you can do some of the things she has suggested? Good god man. Anyone would leap at the opportunity for a day out with a girl like her”.
Honey kept her gaze on her breakfast, her cheeks heating up as Erskine spoke up on her behalf. She hadn't wanted to inconvenience anyone, especially not Nefarian since he was so temperamental. But it was nice having someone be so insistent that she be heard.
Nefarian grumbled in annoyance, he couldn't stand that pathetic look on her face any longer. “Fine. Fine! We will go to the beach and get ice cream… but I refuse to swim in the sea- it's disgusting”.
Honey looked up at him, surprise apparent on her face more than anything. Seizing the opportunity while it was still there she gathered her courage and tapped at another item on the list.
Nefarian’s gaze followed her finger which was pointing to the words ‘Walk along Menesetung Bridge’. She blinked wordlessly at him and as he lifted his eyes to meet hers once more he shrugged, “Sure, sure, whatever you want as long as it keeps me out of the sea…”.
Honey let out an excited squeak and pressed a kiss to his cheek, lost in her excitement. She mouthed a quick ‘thank you’ at Erskine before continuing to quickly eat her breakfast.
Nefarian awkwardly cleared his throat, pleading with all that was evil and unholy that his face remained pale and unbothered by her affection. Despite his best efforts he could feel the back of his neck burning with a treacherous heat.
“Remind me not to do you any more favours, that kiss should have been mine”, Erskine teased, absolutely relishing in Serpine's discomfort.
That earned him yet another glare, but Erskine didn't seem to mind. He may have lost out on the girl’s affections but he still had the upper hand to torment the touch starved Nefarian Serpine. Erskine relished the look on Serpine's face, he clearly didn't know where to place his thoughts as even an innocent kiss rattled him to his core.
I have some more angsty chapters coming up with this story- so a heads up for that ehehehe! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ
This is a special birthday post for @spooklia !! (≧∇≦)/
Have the most pining Baronpine scenario I could think of, and I hope you had the most wonderful birthday. Thank you for always showing your support with my work (*>ω<*)
This day couldn't possibly get any worse.
Nefarian Serpine's fingers curled around the glass containing his designated remedy, a dark mellow whisky swirling around a single ice cube. He watched as the corners of the ice slowly started to lose their sharp edge, the droplets of water pooling down into the amber ripples below distilling a shimmer of fragrant oil to glisten on the surface.
Nefarian lifted the glass to his nose and inhaled deeply, relishing in the scent of the peat smoke lingering on the liquor.
He settled into a moment of internal chaos, praying that this would be the time that his self-prescribed medication would finally work. All the muddled thoughts in his brain would lose their potency, paving way for the numbing effects of the alcohol.
It was bad enough that the bloody requiem ball was due to happen this weekend. A grand soiree, celebrating the end of the war that Nefarian himself had never had the privilege of being invited to. Moreover it seemed the universe enjoyed making him suffer, as his birthday was fast approaching. A stark reminder that another year had passed, leaving him isolated and alone within the constraints of the truce.
He knew he would live to regret signing that document, one flick of a pen and his entire life had been reduced to 6 month check-ins and constant surveillance.
Thanks to the mortal population, the surveillance part was becoming easier and easier for those dogs working at The Sanctuary. Cameras, tracking devices… you name it, they put it to use.
Any suspicious activity had him being pulled into an interrogation room deep within the confines of those dank stone walls, surrounded by sickeningly condescending faces.
Sure, it was pleasing to know he was still thought of as dangerous. That his reputation for being delightfully malicious had not been completely glossed over with the passing of time. But those that held authority in this new regime dared to put his limits to the test- and each time he felt closer to cracking under the pressure, to act in accordance with his outrage of being belittled.
It would seem that even the people that had fought on the side of ‘good’ had despicable traits in them that could rival his own. Sore winners were the worst kinds of people.
Despite all the inconvenience of the strict guidelines set in place to let him continue living as a free(-ish) man, he was still able to stay in the comfort of his own home. A beautiful estate that gave him the illusion of privacy. He still had access to everything he needed to live comfortably, most essentially, all the alcohol he could drink was at his fingertips.
Such tasteless consumption may not have been the most socially acceptable pastime, likewise Nefarian himself could very much be regarded the same.
More favourable company might show concern for his current state, but the lackeys being kept in his minuscule social circles were only there to do his bidding.
They weren't there to offer him thoughts or opinions. Behind their panicked eyes there was nothing worthy of his attention.
Even in a disheveled state, he held more power in the tips of his fingers than they did in their entire bodies. What did he care of their troubled glances at his orders to fetch a fresh decanter before ten in the morning?
It wasn't his fault after all, if the two decanters of aged rum from yesterday hadn't been strong enough to scorch away the burdens of his past… at least he was refined enough to change his choice of poison from day to day.
Today, he had opted for Lagavulin 16, a well-known favourite of Baron Vengeous. It had been almost 50 years since Nefarian had last felt those blazing eyes cast upon him.
The man was prideful to a fault, and had refused to sign the peace treaty to ensure his own freedom. Instead, he had chastised those who did sign for turning their backs on The Faceless Gods… cursing them with a venomous spite. Nefarian especially, had felt the animosity coming from The Baron that day.
The two had turned their backs on each other, Nefarian deciding to abandon his goals from his time alongside Mevolent. Baron chose to pursue it with a renewed vigour. So he was taken into custody and a sentence passed, leaving Nefarian with no alternative other than to navigate his newfound seclusion; without the man who had begun to influence the shape of his life more than he had realised at the time.
Part of him recognised his own desire for that long estranged connection, which may be why he chose this particular spirit to drown his sorrows into…
That was enough.
No more of these confounded thoughts.
Nefarian lifted the glass to his lips and took a greedy gulp. Notes of brine danced up through his nose as the burn of the whisky took hold. The sweetness of the flavour perfectly offset the salty scent and he let out a relieved sigh, burying his heart deep in the flame now alight in his chest.
Without hesitation, he brought the glass up once more and polished it off. The now tiny bead of ice slipped down the glass and clinked against his teeth.
He remembered how Baron's lips had tasted of this same whisky. That fateful day when they had kissed meaningfully for the first time. No teasing, no torment, pure unbridled infatuation that had left the two of them lost for words… He brought his fingers up to the corner of his mouth, trembling as that memory threatened to take over.
More.
Nefarian blinked back his emotions, refusing to let them well up in his eyes and refilled his glass. He put down the decanter, eased the weight of the glass against his wrist and lifted it…
"Beg your pardon Sir…".
Nefarian slammed his glass back down onto the table, his brow furrowed with an intense fury, "What makes you think I wanted to be disturbed?", he spat. He hadn't even heard the little louse come in, all this domesticity was making him soft and he despised not being fully aware of his surroundings.
Two trembling hands reached out towards him, clutching a letter tightly, "T-this arrived for you S-Sir…".
Nefarian immediately snatched it with his free hand, turned it over in his grasp and studied the back of the letter- his blood ran cold.
There, holding the point of the envelope closed was a navy blue wax seal with The Baron's family crest elaborately protruding. He let go of the glass, and waved at the pathetic trembling man before him, "Get out", he snapped.
"M-My Lord?".
"OUT!"he roared, all sense of patience lost as he felt himself beginning to lose what strength he had left to fight back the emotions he so desperately wanted to keep submerged in ardent spirits.
He watched as the cretin scarpered away and Nefarian reached down for the knife he kept around his ankle. Pulling it from its sheath, the blade shone in the dim light and he sliced it along the top of the envelope.
He didn't want this. He hadn't asked for this.
Yet, he was overcome with the urge to read what had been written. To accept the merciless onslaught of insults that were inevitably headed his way. He knew he deserved it, for as much as Baron had left him to the mercy of the opposing side of the war- Nefarian himself had left Baron to the mercy of his unwavering conviction which he was then persecuted for. A conviction he had once sworn to follow himself...
There were no winners in this dance that had entangled their hearts, and forever a glutton for punishment Nefarian unfolded the letter- what he read made the entire room still as though the rushing of time was holding steady for the first time in decades.
'Nefarian,
If this letter somehow makes it to you unscathed- then I pray from the darkest recesses of my soul that you had the strength to open it.
I write to you, not in scorn or contempt, but reflective of the way we last parted.
There is a lot that I had left unsaid to you, and the words that were spoken in haste left a lot to be desired.
You broke me Nefarian. Watching you walk away from me, from The Church after all that we had been through… but it was not purely because of my devotion to the Faceless Ones that caused it to affect me so.
I have come to realize, my heartbreak was out of my devotion to you too.
As undeserved as it is- part of me is completely undone by you. This is something I cannot seem to change no matter how much time goes by.
I fear that your reckless self destruction may get to you long before I am able… but when I am free from here, I will come and find you.
I yearn greatly to tell you in person the words that we had left unsaid for so many years.
For now, Happy Birthday my dearest comrade. May the blessings of The Faceless Gods find you this year.
Yours,
Baron'
A loose tear dripped down onto the paper as Nefarian finally allowed himself to blink. He processed the words neatly written onto the page and clutched the letter close to his chest in a daze, "You fool", he muttered to himself.
Despite the ache he felt, a longing smile curled the corner of his mouth. One day, he would be found, he just had to stay alive until then.
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Here we find Nefarian and Honey getting comfortable in the Midnight Hotel! It has been so nice to write Anton Shudder into this... and another guest will make an appearance today! Happy reading (ᇴ‿ฺᇴ)
The room in which they were staying was nice, clean and neutral. Well suited for anyone passing through or needing to escape Sanctuary law enforcement. Honey sat on the double bed and bounced softly, smiling to herself as she kicked her legs. She was rather pleased to be here, especially after meeting Anton Shudder. He had been ever so nice and she hoped to see him more around the hotel during their stay.
Meeting him had dulled the conflict in her brain, fighting between what was right and wrong. In running, she had no doubt disappointed China, made herself look guilty and put her teaching position and other relationships in great jeopardy.
What would Scapegrace, Thrasher and Clarabelle think? Would Fletcher believe she was innocent, or would he start to suspect her too? And poor Saracen, after all he had done for her. She resolved to herself that she would make it up to him somehow. Proving her innocence would be at the forefront of this goal, she would hate to enter into an unnecessary altercation with him next time she saw him. She knew he could be ruthless when it was needed and there would be nothing she could do to fight back. Nothing she would want to do anyway.
Nonetheless, if people as nice as Shudder chose to harbour fugitives, then maybe all fugitives weren't so bad. Which in turn meant, she wasn't so bad either. This decision, though it weighed heavy on her mind, felt like the right call at the time and she had trusted her gut. For better or worse, she would have to find out the old fashioned way if she had made the right choice.
While Honey pondered, Nefarian was doing a quick sweep of the room, still paranoid about being tracked or monitored. His solemn expression lifted ever so slightly once he was satisfied that the room was clear. He watched as Honey put her bag down on the floor and made her way to the window on the far wall, he noted that she still had that small skip in her step despite the calamity that had uprooted them this morning.
He stepped up beside her and glanced out of the window at the lush woodland surrounding the hotel, the tips of crooked branches bounced gently as wild birds fluttered between them. "If you like this view, I hope the next one is just as enchanting". He purposefully left his sentence vague, leaving implication hanging heavy in the air as Honey turned to face him with a brow quirked questioningly.
That look of confusion on her face, the way she hung onto his words with no less than her full attention, oh how it made him quiver in all the right ways. She could be such an obedient little pet if she were just a little more broken…
A slight tug on his sleeve near the crook of his elbow pulled him out of his thoughts as Honey seemed to be encouraging him to elaborate. Nefarian merely shrugged and turned to walk away from the window, "Come… we will head into the common room and ask the manager about your little notebook, hm?".
Honey's expression lit up at this suggestion and she immediately tailed him through the doorway and out of the room. He locked the door behind them and they descended the stairs back towards the reception.
Once they entered into the common room, Honey clung to Nefarian's sleeve curling her fingers tightly as the two of them saw a partially obscured figure hunched over in one of the armchairs. It was like staring at a screen that had been paused, he was so still, staring intently down at a steaming mug on the table in front of him. There was a sense of darkness that plagued him and it only served to create a wall that would make anyone think twice about approaching.
Nefarian continued into the room, refusing to be intimidated and so Honey followed suit. Upon closer inspection, the man was wearing berry coloured suit trousers and a slightly off-white button down shirt. What really drew Honey's attention to him, was the gold triangles embroidered into the shirt that perfectly matched his golden glimmering eyes.
Erskine Ravel glanced up at the two of them wearing an amused smirk, "Nefarian Serpine…? Now you I did not expect to see this fine morning…", his attention turned to Honey and any kind of tension in his jaw was lost as he smiled charmingly, "Good morning gorgeous~".
Honey's cheeks blushed red and she tried to hold back a shy laugh. Just as she was about to respond, Serpine held his hand up in front of her and shook his head, "-I don't think that is wise. Erskine is a prisoner here, he is a dangerous man and you shouldn't be speaking, remember?".
Honey looked between Nefarian and Erskine comically fast, as though she couldn't quite believe what she was hearing. This was the infamous Erskine Ravel?! He did look every bit as handsome as she had heard, though she was a little hesitant to speak to him after everything that had transpired to lead up to his imprisonment. Not that she could talk anyway.
Not only had he tried to start a fake war, to lead the mortals of this world into a state of enslavement, but he had almost killed two of his friends in the process. Oddly enough, it wasn't all that different from Nefarian's own sordid history. Though this version of Nefarian had not attempted to kill anyone that she was well acquainted with- as far as she knew.
She thought about how Nefarian had spoken about his red right hand before, and how far people would go for self-preservation. Perhaps Erskine had been backed into a corner and felt he had no other choice than to betray those closest to him. When she had been cornered, she had run. So she couldn't really judge him for his actions, especially when she couldn't say for sure what she would have done in the same situation.
It was rather ironic when she thought about it, that Anton Shudder was the one keeping an eye on Ravel for the duration of his sentence. Though, who better to keep an eye on him than someone who knows him well? As Honey deliberated the best response to the delightful debonair, Nefarian gently pressed a hand at her lower back, "Come on, there's no point loitering around him".
Erskine took a sip of his coffee and crossed his legs studying them, "What's the matter, Serpine? She not allowed to talk to anyone other than you, is that it? Miss, you know you don't have to listen to what he says, right?".
Honey merely shrugged her free hand earnestly, perking up slightly as she noticed a station where she could get both herself and Nefarian some tea or coffee. She tapped excitedly at his arm, pointed at it and then hopped away to fetch some, a little relieved to put some distance between herself and the growing tension.
Erskine watched her go, completely bewildered at the strange woman who seemed so out of place beside someone like Nefarian. The dark clothes on her back did nothing to disguise her sunny disposition.
"I have the notepad…", Anton said as he came up beside Nefarian, holding out a notebook with a pen sitting atop it. Nefarian tried not to jump as Shudder spoke, the man moved so quietly it was as though he had just appeared out of thin air. He took the notebook and hesitantly nodded his thanks.
Shudder then turned to Erskine and sighed, "You come down for this every time… it's annoying seeing you. You know that, right?".
Erskine smirked and nodded, "Oh yes, I am aware… but being imprisoned here, means I am imprisoned within the confines of the hotel. I can go where I please within it".
"I have every right to lock you in your room. Don't push me".
Their conversation came to a halt as Honey came back, holding out a steaming mug to Nefarian with a bright smile. He traded her the mug for the notebook and she beamed at it, absolutely taken by Anton's kindness. She set her own mug down on the table Erskine was sitting by, fumbled with the notebook and quickly scrawled out, "THANK YOU", in beautiful curved writing, with a couple of little hearts doodled beside it.
Anton nodded politely, "Here at the Midnight Hotel, we aim to please".
He then walked towards a small clock, sitting on the mantlepiece of the main fireplace, checked his watch against it and nodded, "Alright, one more minute. All guests are accounted for".
Honey slowly lowered her notepad and tilted her head, wondering what on earth everyone was making such a fuss over. She watched as Nefarian took a seat nearby where she had planted her own cup of tea and followed suit. As she sank into the soft armchair she let out a small laugh, struggling against the cushion to right herself.
Glancing over at Nefarian she smirked, as if to say 'it is just like my sofa at home, I'm not the only one who likes squishy chairs'. But he was far too invested in his mug of tea to give her the satisfaction of acknowledging such a smug look. She instead looked back at the man with the golden eyes and smiled, he seemed a little taken aback at her relentless kindness but returned the smile in kind.
The clock struck 09:00AM and a deafening crack resounded throughout the hotel. Smaller cracking sounds snapped at the very foundations, the beams and the walls groaned as overhead lights flickered and the building roared to life.
Honey's heart practically leapt in her chest as she looked up at the ceiling to make sure it wasn't going to cave in on them. She heard a small chuckle come from Erskine and directed her panicked eyes toward him, "Don't worry, just enjoy the spectacle, it is perfectly safe. Where are we headed Anton?", he was completely calm, despite the sound echoing around them.
Shudder turned away from the fireplace that housed the small clock and offered Honey a tiny sympathetic smile. It didn't take much to realise Serpine had told her nothing about the hotel and how it worked, "We are heading to Canada, specifically Goderich in Ontario".
"Canada?!", Honey beamed with excitement.
The use of her voice earned a confused glance from Anton and a smirk from Erskine as they looked at each other, then back to Nefarian suspiciously. He merely rolled his eyes and let out an exhausted sigh, "You just can't help yourself, can you?", he muttered while glaring daggers at Honey.
She grinned bashfully and covered her mouth with her hands, watching with unmasked curiosity as the windows suddenly went pitch black.
A few seconds of silence went by, the hotel seemingly suspended in a vast empty expanse of darkness before…
The low sound of ocean waves could be heard rolling against the shore in the distance.
Honey squinted, letting her eyes adjust to the gloom outside the window. Gradually, a litter of stars appeared like magic, dotting the night sky with their delicate embroidery. With an astounded gasp Honey rose from her chair, and made a beeline for the window. She pushed it up and stuck her head out, breathing in the cool night air before letting out a delighted sigh, "Oh this is incredible…".
Nefarian took in her spellbound expression as she turned back to face him, positively bouncing with excitement- "So this is why-oop!", she covered her mouth with her hand again, paused and then mimed zipping up her lip and throwing away the key.
Anton turned to Nefarian and raised a concerned brow, "So she can talk?".
Nefarian sighed in frustration and nodded, putting his mug down, "She can, though it is safer for her not to…".
"Care to elaborate on that?".
"Not in the slightest", he responded with a vile grin, "She will behave, don't you worry. Won't you Honey?".
Honey nodded enthusiastically while Erskine winced in his chair, "I'm sorry- Honey?… Since when did Nefarian Serpine use petnames? Are the two of you!?- Oh god, I think I might be sick. The poor, poor girl".
Nefarian scowled then, "Absolutely not!", he protested, "Honey is her taken name you oaf- our relationship is nothing of the sort that you are thinking, we just-", he glanced at Honey then as she was watching him with a saddened hesitation in her expression.
She slowly approached him and reached out a hand and placed it on Nefarian's head before giving him little pats and smiling fondly. Erskine snorted back a laugh as Serpine batted her away grumbling under his breath, "Stop that this instant".
"Oh I see, so she’s adorable and you tolerate it for some reason? I think I could get used to having her around here…It's funny seeing you get uncomfortable when faced with kindness".
Anton then sighed, "You aren't supposed to be enjoying your imprisonment".
"Well when I have such delightful company", he winked at Honey, "I can't help but indulge".
Honey sat on the arm of Nefarian's chair and smiled proudly, though she couldn't help letting out a small yawn. It had been an early and stressful morning, so much had happened in such a short amount of time and now here she was in Canada, enjoying the twilight hours by the coast.
Erskine watched her swaying to-and-fro with half lidded eyes, she looked peaceful but exhausted, "Maybe you should go to bed, Honey? You look about ready to collapse", his voice was sweet but concerned, "Anton, she has her own room, right? Tell me she has her own-".
"No she is sharing with Serpine".
The two of them shot a unified glare towards Serpine, as if to say 'Don't you dare try anything'.
He merely scoffed in response and stood from the chair, placing a hand on Honey's shoulder, "Come on… before you're unable to walk. I am not carrying you".
Honey scooted off the chair, waving at Anton and Erskine before remembering to grab her notepad. She hugged it close to her chest, sighing happily at the kindness she had been shown. Anton couldn't help but crack a small smile at how gracious she was in accepting such a small effortless gift.
She walked alongside Nefarian up the stairs, Erskine and Anton watching closely as they left and then Anton turned to Erskine, "What do you think? Should we intervene? Or is she actually safe with him?".
Erskine sighed and rubbed at his chin, "I don't think we should do anything…at least, not yet. I think it might be worth speaking to her alone without Nefarian there".
Anton nodded, "I agree. She seems to like you, for some reason. Try to talk to her tomorrow".
"Am I a spy for you now? I thought I was a prisoner?".
"You may as well be useful while you are here, taking up a room".
Erskine shrugged and let out a resigned sigh, "Fair enough… I will see what I can do".
At the threshold of the room, Honey immediately made a beeline for the bed. She hadn't brushed her teeth all that long ago, since it had been early morning when they left Ireland, so she figured she wouldn't need to do so again.
She didn't even bother getting dressed before curling up under the covers, her head coming to rest on the soft pillow, "Nefarian?…", she called out as he flicked on the lamp in the corner of the room.
"I thought you were sleeping", his voice was a sharp and indelicate as ever.
"Do you think… My Uncle will be alright?", she yawned, pulling the covers up to her chin to keep out the chill of the early morning hours.
Nefarian barely let the laugh escape his nose, "He will be fine. Baron has probably been planning his escape since the moment he was taken in. Rest now".
Honey hummed and nodded into the pillow, steadily her breathing got deeper and her shoulders relaxed as sleep overtook her.
Nefarian nodded to himself and stood at the bedroom window, looking out over the coastline that was closer than he had first thought. The stars truly were breath-taking. He smirked to himself as he realised how little attention he had paid to such things for the past few hundred years. Yet suddenly, he was starting to see it again… the natural beauty of the things around him. The peace in these smaller moments.
Yet, once again he found himself on the run. Away from any kind of warm and comforting home, not that he deserved anything like that, but it was still undesirable to be without those things. Regardless, in this simple, bland room there was quiet, the world had slowed down to give him space to breathe. The moment he took a deep breath in, he felt his throat get tight, his eyes threatening to well with pent up emotion.
Not now.
Now was not the time to let these pesky feelings get the better of him, he was far stronger than that and did not need to be wasting time on reflection. Taking a steadying breath, he turned his back on the starlit sky and instead his eyes lingered on the sleeping figure of Honey Bellamy. It was incredible how different someone could become when their circumstances had changed.
He recalled that at one point, Honey herself had expressed such witless sentiment to him before. Oh how he had mocked her for it, believing her words to be sweet-nothings to lull him into a false sense of security. But here he could see it directly before him, how this curse had stopped Honey becoming Harmonie.
Hate had never filled her heart.
She was emotional, she was kind, she listened, and had an uncontrollable sense of intrigue and excitement towards each new day.
Her servitude to Mevolent never came to be, she never had such a grand destiny weighing upon her and did not lose her life as a result of it- more importantly her spark for life. He truly wondered, if he could change his fate as she had changed hers. Or perhaps it was too late for him, already falling victim to corruption under the hardship that had relentlessly plagued him.
Nefarian had never truly trusted anyone before Mevolent. Then Baron had joined their small circle and that trust grew. Anyone outside of it was still seen as a threat, a potential enemy who could cause disruption to the peace that he had found. However, killing in the name of his Master, side by side with Baron Vengeous, Nefarian had found comfort in the familiarity of it all.
But, time changes things…
Their goals shifted, The Faceless One's brief return had decimated a whole city and the faith that had once united them, now divided them. Mevolent had wanted to seize power in the wake of the destruction that the Faceless One had caused. The Baron Vengeous that Nefarian had known turned traitorous, insisting that his Gods should still be returned to their rightful place in this world- whether it led to their certain doom or not.
Then there was himself… left in the wake of the bickering and the destruction, a world falling apart at the seams with nobody able to hold it together as every option seemed wrong. The promise of another world, a fresh start, where the grass had not been burned away, the ancient buildings still stood proudly, and sorcerer society was thriving was the only thing still driving him forward. Now he knew that there was a life worth fighting for, a life worth living.
Nefarian couldn't care less about the mortals, though seeing what they had created when given the opportunity had certainly stirred up some doubts in his mind about what he thought he knew about them.
He had an opportunity now, to indulge in this life, to be free of conflict if he played his cards right. To be left in true peace without scheming, betraying, manipulating. His existence would be his own… Once Baron was back in prison. Once the Bellamy girl could return to her old life. Once the dimension he came from was sealed off forever against the threat of Mevolent- only then would he be free to slip away into the ether and find, what he could only imagine would be happiness without the sins of his past chasing him.
Happy weekend everyone! I have gotten a little behind on writing since I keep writing such long chapters recently... I hope I can keep up a scheduled post for next week too. Much love and appreciation to those who are actually reading my work, I hope you're enjoying the story ╰(ɵ̥̥ ˑ̫ ɵ̥̥ ╰)
Happy Bank Holiday weekend everyone! I hope you enjoy the faster pace of this one- oh! And a couple of familiar characters popping up (｡･`ω´･)ﾉ･*:..｡o *ﾟ｡+｡+ﾟ
The sound of her phone ringing jolted Honey out of her dreams, her heart was thudding wildly in her chest while her hand scrabbled around the bedside table. When she connected with the small buzzing device, she frowned warily at the unknown number, answered it and held it up against her ear, "Good morning? Who's calling?", she yawned, still feeling the drowsy pull of sleep trying to tug her back under.
"I am not impressed, young lady", China Sorrows' blunt voice came through.
As quickly as it had sped up, Honey's heart all but stilled completely, "China? I-is everything alright?", she asked. The temptation of sleep was all but forgotten now as she sat up in the bed to pay better attention to the unexpected call.
China seemed to be taking her time to consider her response before she let out a slow sigh, "It would seem that you are caught up in something unfitting of your character, I suppose you don't even know why I am calling, do you? I had a whole lecture planned for you and now I am quite disappointed I don't get to use it".
"Unfitting of my-… What do you mean- what's going on China?", her tone was a little more panicked now at the thought of being lectured over something she knew nothing about.
"Baron Vengeous was broken out of The Sanctuary last night… I was contacted by Skulduggery, they are going to take you in for questioning".
Honey almost dropped the phone, fumbling with it in her hands before drawing it back to her ear "What!?".
"They have to rule you out as a suspect, however due to your little stunt with Ghastly a great deal of suspicion has been put upon you", China sounded almost disappointed but Honey couldn't tell if it was with her, the situation, or the fact that she hadn't been able to lecture her the way she intended.
Honey's shoulders sagged as she contemplated the implications of her Uncle's escape, "China… I feel so stupid now, Ghastly tried to warn me away from all of this and yet I still… I seem to be far more trouble than I'm worth".
"Listen to me Honey", China interjected before the girl could become too self deprecating, "if you had nothing to do with this then you have nothing to be afraid of. And neither do I. Let the Sanctuary take you in… let the sensitives do their job and then you will be released without issue. Do you hear me? Just, don't run".
Honey nodded, then realised it was stupid to nod to someone on the other end of the phone, so she fought to get her words out instead, "Y-yes of course… Then, I will wait here…". Her vision blurred and then cleared as the gathered tears began to roll down her cheeks, she had only just realised how much her hands were trembling,
"Why is this all happening?".
China let go of the firmness in her voice for a moment and replaced it with a rare warmth, "There will be some convoluted reason, make no mistake. Having a family like yours… well, this journey isn't easy. Just keep going the way you have been, things will work out".
Honey nodded again and then sighed at her own foolishness, she was still on the phone.
Though the way that China spoke helped soothe her troubled spirit as though she were sitting just across from her, "Thanks China…", she mumbled softly into the phone, trying not to sniffle too much. She chose her next words carefully, though curiosity edged its way into her voice, "Was it this difficult for you? Leaving the Church of the Faceless? ".
She could hear the smirk in China's voice, "Oh my dear, it was far worse. I am not entirely faultless for that either. But I was lucky enough to have my brother looking out for me, and for that I will always be grateful. Now hang tight, they will be there soon".
She hung up the call and with the phone still against her palm, rubbed her eyes with the back of her hands in a desperate attempt to dry her tears. The flurry of emotion proved too great as an anguished cry burst from her chest. A relentless torrent of tears cascaded down her face, the exhausted girl sobbing into her knees as she curled into a little ball.
She had so many questions herself about Baron's sudden disappearance. If her Uncle had escaped, who freed him? Where was he going and why? Pondering the situation left her oblivious to the subtle knock at the door as her mind continued to spiral uncontrollably over 'what-ifs' and 'hypotheticals'.
After waiting for a moment or two, Nefarian slowly creaked open the door and stared across the room at Honey with a raised brow. He took in her lack of composure and groaned impatiently, "What have I told you about the crying?", he grumbled, clearly not impressed that he was having to deal with her tears yet again. He had changed back into his suit, though the top button was left undone, his cravat not upon his person as it usually was.
Honey immediately lifted her head from her lap, her breath coming out staggered as she tried to calm herself down enough to speak, "Nefarian…", she wiped away her tears and hissed a little at how tender the skin under her eyes was.
She stood and met him in the middle of her room, her pleading gaze locking onto his emerald eyes, "Please listen to me, you must leave… The Sanctuary is sending people to take me in for questioning- I don't want you to get caught up in this. You haven't done anything wrong…".
Nefarian had to try not to roll his eyes as she started to cry again, "Alright- enough of that. Stop it… what do you mean they are coming to take you in? What has happened?".
Honey felt a lump in her throat, she knew she had to come clean about everything, there was no point trying to hide aspects of her past now. There was nothing she could do to avoid suspicion on either side of this investigation.
"The… prisoner I mentioned yesterday, that I used my magic to see-", she sniffled and contemplated wiping her eyes again. Her hands rose instinctively, cheeks flaming from embarrassment at how she lacked control over her emotions, "He seems to have escaped and they think that I had something to do with it… My Uncle he's-".
Nefarian looked genuinely surprised for a moment, then his brow furrowed and he glanced away from her, "So Vengeous got out?…", he lifted his now gloved hand to his chin in thought.
Honey recoiled a little in surprise, "Wait- how did you know that?".
"You let it slip when you were half-asleep last night… it's no matter", he waved his hand dismissively at her, "How I know is neither here nor there… This is serious. They think it was you… and they already suspected you of doing my bidding before", he looked up decidedly and grabbed her wrist, "We need to leave".
Honey blinked and tried to step back but his grasp was too firm, "What? We? No No… China told me to stay here, that they will figure things out and-".
Nefarian yanked her closer, earning a surprised yelp from the girl as she lost her footing and staggered into him, "Honey. This is no trivial matter. A war criminal that you are related to has escaped custody… I know how these things go and despite how much you may believe in the Arbiters, there is something more to this than we realise. If you don't come with me now, I may not see you again-".
He stopped talking suddenly and scowled, "That's not-…", Honey stared at him, breathless with those bright stupid eyes. She pursed her lips and looked down at the floor as Nefarian released his hold on her wrist, seemingly appalled at the physical contact that he had initiated,
He cleared his throat, really thinking about his words before speaking again, "Whoever emancipated your Uncle will be looking for someone else to take the fall. We don't know what they could have done to set either of us up. I'd rather take action on my own terms than be forced to sit and do nothing while someone else proves me innocent…".
Honey shifted her feet kicking at the corner of the rug on the floor, she could understand being inclined to feel that way. Oftentimes she felt absolutely helpless, having to rely too heavily on the people around her to resolve any conflicts she may be facing. It wasn't often that she didn't feel like a burden to someone, so if she stayed, would she be burdening Skulduggery and Valkyrie too? Simply sitting around while they worked hard to prove her innocence.
Nefarian then straightened up, easily returning to his usual suave composure and pulled on the sleeve of his blazer, "Besides… when you think about it your only alibi, is me".
Her shoulders quickly tensed, her head lifting to meet his smug expression as he cornered her with his words, "I was with you all night… I can't imagine The Sanctuary would believe us even if we did vouch for each other. The Sensitives can read our minds, but what if the memories were planted? I can't imagine it would work out very well in our favour if we simply stayed here and let them do whatever they wished. And what if some evidence were planted to frame you? What then, Miss Bellamy?".
More tears sprung into her eyes and she shook her head, "But- my Uncle would never do something like that to me… I know the kind of man he is but he would never-".
"What if he didn't have any say in the matter? Are you certain that your parents do not know where you are? That the church doesn't know where you are? I do find it odd that of all the places you ran away to in this world, you chose the very place where The Baron was secretly locked away".
Honey faltered, "I-…", she lifted her hands to her necklace and let out a deep exhale trying to calm herself down. "Nefarian, you said you recognised the magic coming from my necklace, because once you know what the power of the crystal feels like, you can recognise it, right?".
Nefarian nodded, then scowled as he realised what she was insinuating, "You think they have been tracking you this whole time? From the mere traces of its magic?".
"There are less than 25 pieces all over the world. Logically, the church would know the location of every single one of them since they are so important to our-…their faith".
Nefarian nodded gravely, "Then we waste no time", he pulled out his phone and sent a text, Honey noticed his typing speed had gotten faster, "We leave in 5 minutes. Get your things".
"Five minutes?…", for a moment Nefarian thought she was going to protest such an abrupt time constraint. Much to his surprise, she instead gave a determined nod, "Alright, five minutes", though it made her chest ache as she struggled internally with her indecision, she thought it was best to act before she was left without an option.
Scrabbling with a bag, she packed her brush, toothbrush and spare underwear, she rushed into the bathroom to pee and came out wearing a black t-shirt with a lace collar and black jeans, her hair was tied back into a ponytail with two curls framing her face.
She looked uncannily similar to the Bellamy girl that Nefarian had known in his dimension, serious, firm, and focused. It made him uneasy in all manner of ways, but he didn't have the time to be making such comparisons.
"Is there anything you need-", Honey had started to ask him but her sentence was interrupted by a sudden loud bang on the front door.
"Honey Bellamy, open up!", Skulduggery's voice called out, not threateningly but it certainly lacked warmth. It was clear he was here on business.
She flinched at the sound of her name being called like that and looked to Nefarian with a panic stricken face, "Is this really the right thing to do?".
Her question was met with a sarcastic laugh, "In your situation I would rather not stick around to find out… where is that god damned teleporter?!".
The front door burst open and Honey could hear the sound of the cleavers rushing into her lovely home as she rapidly pulled on her boots. Valkyrie called out into the house, "Honey? Are you home? Come out so we can talk…".
Nefarian scoffed under his breath, "Sure 'talk'… same way they did with me before they sent someone to spy on me. They are so quick to jump to conclusions".
The young man Honey had seen last night teleported into the bedroom and Nefarian placed a hand on his shoulder, "It's now or never Honeybell~", he uttered her nickname with a mocking tone, though his eyes held a tempting warmth in them that Honey just found herself being drawn to.
Slowly she reached out her hand then she shook her head, "I don't want you to get into any more trouble because of me…".
Nefarian lowered his chin and huffed out another chuckle, amused that she seemed to completely blame herself for this series of unfortunate events. It was funny how quickly she assumed responsibility, that somehow she had fallen short and that was what had caused all this disarray.
That mild amusement, bubbling beneath the surface of impatience became unhinged delight as he watched Honey snap the chain around her neck, dropping the crystal to the floor.
Decidedly, she stepped forward and her hand slid into Nefarian's. She glanced up at him, met his eyes and smiled softly.
He returned it.
The bedroom door slammed open. Valkyrie rushed into the room, surveying the scene before her, seeing Honey with her hand in Nefarian's, "WAIT!", she called out.
But it was too late, Nefarian's grip on Honey's hand tightened and they teleported away.
-x-
Valkyrie knew she didn't have it in her to tell Saracen what had happened, so she sat on the edge of Honey's bed turning the crystal over in her hands as she went over in her head how they had ended up here.
"So she has decided to run and she is with Nefarian again… some would say it looks incredibly suspicious", Skulduggery mused as he poured over some of the book titles Honey had lined up on a shelf.
"Some? I think most, if not all people would say it looks suspicious Skulduggery", Valkyrie retorted standing up from the bed.
Skulduggery shifted his weight, "Perhaps… I'm still not certain about her. It makes no sense that she would wait until the last minute to run out on us if she were guilty. But nevertheless, Baron Vengeous is now unaccounted for, Nefarian Serpine has gone into hiding and Honey Bellamy at the centre of it all seems to be making some very dangerous allies. We need to get to the bottom of this…".
Valkyrie sighed and stood up, "Without the crystal… how dangerous is she? Her magic wasn't too strong when we first met her, I was able to fight off its effects even though I was pretty tired. Do you think she was holding back her ability because of the children?".
Skulduggery started to make his way out of the room, placing his skeletal hands in his pockets, "I think… that without the necklace to help keep herself in check, she will definitely lack the same control she had with it on. Let us just hope it doesn't work in Nefarian's favour".
-x-
Honey's feet came to rest in a soft patch of grass, the morning dew sliding down the toe of her boot. She watched as Nefarian let go of the teleporter and nodded to him, "I will keep you updated on my location, if I need you I will call- until then, entertain yourself".
The young man nodded and hurriedly teleported away once more, leaving Honey in the middle of a dense patch of woodland still clinging onto Nefarian's hand. She heard a crack in the undergrowth and instinctively moved closer to him, still on high alert from the adrenaline rush coursing through her.
She placed her other hand on his arm and went to speak, then faltered as she thought better of it. Without the necklace, she didn't have confidence in her ability to control her power the way she could when she was younger, she had become so reliant on the control coming from the crystal… and so she elected to stay silent. She hunched into the strap of the backpack on her shoulders, she couldn't think of anything better to do, the pressure made her feel smaller and safer.
Nefarian glanced down at her hand still entwined in his, seeing her nervously holding onto him like this garnered a triumphant smirk. She was unsteady, with no idea where to turn to now that she had run away again- perfect. He lifted her hand and looped her arm along the crook of his elbow leading her with light steps through the woods.
Honey followed aimlessly, kind of finding it intriguing that she was not made privy to where they were going. Part of her was relieved for it, the less control she had over her situation the less responsible she would feel for whatever happened next.
It didn't take long before they came into a clearing and Honey's eyes lit up at the view of a beautiful wooden patio overlooking the entrance to a hotel. The style of the building looked at least a hundred years old, yet the black wooden panels that lined its exterior were astonishingly clear of age.
It must have been newly renovated, that was the only thing Honey could think of that would have caused the building to look the same as it would have the very first day the doors had swung open to welcome guests. They ascended the steps together and arm in arm, walked through the front door into the entrance hall.
In spite of the dark and almost spooky atmosphere of the building, it was quite cosy and welcoming inside. At the reception there was a warm oil lamp guiding their way in. Placed on the desk was a ledger, an actual paper ledger, with names scrawled in all different types of handwriting. On the wall was a board containing key hooks for 24 individual rooms, only one key remained in its designated place- the rest seemingly allocated to other guests, though where they were Honey couldn't be sure.
A door behind the desk opened and a calm looking man with long dark hair stepped forward from a small office. He wore black suit trousers and a white shirt, a pleasant smile on his face at first, until he recognised Nefarian Serpine and it quickly dropped into a more neutral expression, "I'm going to ask this as nicely as I can muster… do you have a booking?". Honey held onto Nefarian's arm a little tighter as he responded, "Yes of course… though I do have an additional guest staying with me now", he said, gesturing to the woman clinging onto his arm for dear life.
The man took in the two of them and relaxed his stance a little, "You don't seem like the kind of young lady to be keeping company with someone like him", he said, gesturing to Nefarian. There was no humour to his voice, yet Honey could still tell that he meant it teasingly, the glint in his eyes betrayed the calm of his voice, allowing her to relax her hold a little.
Softly he pushed forward the ledger and offered her a pen, "Sign in, when you sign this you agree to our terms. No violence. Stick by that and we won't have any problems".
Honey reluctantly let go of Nefarian's arm and nodded politely, she took the pen and signed her name. Nefarian followed suit as the raven-haired man turned to get the last remaining key from its hook. He handed the key to Nefarian and his tone lowered in warning, "I mean it Serpine- this place is a safe haven for more than just you. Don't be causing any trouble".
Nefarian tilted his head and grinned, his voice dripping with venom, "But of course… Our situation is precarious, I wouldn't dream of endangering our last resort".
He still didn't quite look convinced, but he had no reason to doubt other than the fact that it was Nefarian Serpine- and even the one he used to know could behave when he really needed to. He glanced at the ledger to check their names, then turned his attention toward Honey and offered a small, almost pitying smile, "My name is Anton Shudder, I manage the hotel. If you need anything, you can ask me… alright?".
Honey had to hold back a gasp as she realised she was standing right in front of one of Saracen's old friends and also one of The infamous Dead Men. There were so many stories she had been told about him, how calm he had been even in the midst of battle until his gist was released and all of the rage came staggering out, slashing friend and foe alike. But also, how brilliantly he could negotiate by seeing things from even the most warped perspective, Honey felt they were kindred spirits in that regard.
She nodded and smiled sweetly at him, keeping her lips securely together. It took everything she had not to speak, conversation always came so naturally to her and for this man in particular she had so much she wanted to say. But for now, she quelled her urges and remained silent.
Anton watched her, a little too closely for a little too long and he frowned, "Is… everything alright?".
She nodded again, letting out a simple "mhmm!", upon seeing the growing concern in Anton's face she tapped her fingers lightly at her throat and shook her head, shrugging softly. She hoped he picked up on the implication that talking was a no-go for her right now.
Shudder blinked confused at her, "You can't talk?…", he asked slowly. Honey gave him a thumbs up, earning a small chuckle from him in response, "I see… then we may have to get you a notepad or something". Honey beamed and looked at Nefarian, blinking at him adorably so he could accept the offer on her behalf- there was only so much nodding her poor head could take after all.
Nefarian let out a sigh trying his best to ignore her pressing expression, "Yes- I am sure she would appreciate it", he grumbled begrudgingly.
Anton watched them curiously, Honey looked up at Nefarian with such fondness as though she actually liked the guy. On the other hand, he glowered down at her, desperately trying not to respond in turn… he seemed rather taken by her but reluctant to admit it. Shudder let out a low hum of approval. This would be interesting. "You'll find your room upstairs… make yourselves comfortable as we will be moving on in about an hour".
Honey tilted her head in confusion like a little puppy and Nefarian patted her lower back, leading her toward the stairs, "You'll see soon enough what he means, I get the feeling you're going to like it here".
...So we ran away. But we have ended up in the most excellent company (◕ᗜ◕)
